Something's Up at the Spirit House
by AGrayCat
Summary: Something is very wrong with the Gorillaz new home, and it's driving 2D mad. Will he and his bandmates be able to handle the mysterious forces at work at Saturnz Barz? A story to tie together the music videos and events of phase 4. Will be a little silly, a little eerie, and contain a dash of 2/nu.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I think we all know that these characters aren't mine.**

 _Chapter 1: Just a Peppermint Tea for Me_

The doors to _Patty's Pancake Parlour_ swung open as the chiming of the entryway bells caused a pink-clad waitress to look up sharply. Her eyes widened in shock as a man with green skin strolled into her shop, followed by a lanky man with blue hair and blackened eyes, a woman wearing large, colored glasses and a fuzzy blue jacket, and a large man with an eerie, glowing gaze. The sight of the odd group rendered her speechless. She must have been staring at them for a good twenty seconds before the green man cleared his throat loudly, and she realized that he was glaring at her with his arms crossed.

"Would it kill you to find us a table?"

She flinched as his scratchy voice broke through her bewildered trance. "Oh- Of course. Right this way…"

A half-hour's passage found the group seated in a booth by a window, late-morning sunlight streaming over them as they hungrily watched the waitress pile their table with dishes of pancakes in every flavor under the sun- blueberry, chocolate chip, birthday cake, you name it. The moment the waitress stepped back from the table, the bandmates fell upon the dishes and ravenously began devouring everything in sight.

Or, at least, three of them did.

Stuart Pot, a.k.a. 2D, leaned against the window, gingerly fingering a mug of steaming peppermint tea. He raised it slowly to his lips as he observed his bandmates. Next to him, Murdoc tore through cake after cake with his strangely pointed teeth. Across from Murdock, Russel had just finished pouring a whole bottle of syrup over a large stack. He forked four whole pancakes at once and crammed them into his mouth hungrily. Next to Russel and, like 2D, adjacent to the window, Noodle cut her strawberry-topped pancakes into bite-sized squares, which she consumed rapidly. They were completely absorbed in their food. No worries, save to fill their stomachs. No other care in the world. As if something extremely unsettling _hadn't_ happened to them at their new house just over an hour ago.

"Um… Eh… Guys?" 2D stuttered nervously. His bandmates glanced up at him.

"So… Our new house is haunted?"

"Yup," Murdock replied shortly, then continued eating. Russel followed suite.

2D lowered his gaze back down to the mug. The rim of the mug was his favorite shade of magenta, but he hardly noticed since his thoughts were swirling with images of what he had witnessed earlier that morning: snakelike spirits winding through the hallways of the house, malevolent flying food bursting out of an innocent-looking fridge, a meteor-filled space environment appearing out of nowhere… He shuddered at the memory. Why were his bandmates being so nonchalant about this? 2D glanced up and was somewhat startled to find Noodle staring at him. She must have noticed the trepidation in his voice when he had spoken, and she was eyeing him thoughtfully, as if she actually cared that he was disturbed. She offered him a small smile, which sparked a good sort of feeling in his chest. Feeling bolstered (although still quite nervous), 2D glanced briefly back at his tea before returning his nervous gaze to his bandmates and shakily elaborating, "Is… Isn't this… ah… a problem?"

Murdoc rolled his eyes with a groan. "Quit whining, face-ache. We've dealt with worse."

Russel looked at 2D sympathetically, but concurred, "Muds is right, man. Kong had zombies, that toxic beach had pirates and an evil boogieman. All those spirits really did was give us a trip. You should let it go, D. Ease up. Have some pancakes."

2D gulped nervously, rubbing his neck. The memory of being choked by a talking pizza slice was a little too fresh in his mind for him to consider eating right now. He was about to resume staring at his tea when Noodle entered the conversation.

"I understand your worry, 2D," Noodle said sympathetically. "But this house is nothing we can't handle. The spirits did us no harm, and it they ever tried, I could pull out some jujutsu on them. We'll all be fine." 2D nodded and smiled sheepishly, feeling warmed by her concern, but his twitching fingers betrayed his persisting worry. Noodle held his gaze as she tilted her head slightly and asked. "Is there anything we can do to make you feel better about the house?"

"Well," 2D replied hesitantly, "we could… umm… you know… get a different house?"

"NO!" Murdock roared with a sudden ferocity which had heads turning at tables all over the restaurant. The bassist leaned menacingly over 2D, causing the singer to flinch back and quiver in his seat. "Do you have _any_ idea, _any idea at all_ , of what I went through to find that house, Dullard? What it took to find a realtor who would help us after the eviction?" 2D shook his head jerkily as he pressed his back into the seat, willing his body to disappear into the crack between the cushions and the wall. "It took _months_ to find this property, _months!_ And if you think we're all going to just pick up and move because you're afraid of ghosts, then you've got even less brains than I thought, which is really saying something, since _I didn't think you had any brains in the first place!_ "

The whole restaurant had fallen silent. Murdock turned to find diners at neighboring tables staring at him, food falling from their open mouths in shock at is tirade. Murdock snarled at them as they turned slowly back to their meals. When the restaurant began humming once more with the sound of clinking silverware and light conversation, Murdock growled at 2D, "We're not moving. It's a perfectly good house with plenty of space and a working bath. If I hear one more complaint out of you, I'll push you through the window."

"Yo, Murdock."

The bassist looked up sharply at Russel, his eyes narrowing when he saw the large man grinning as if something was amusing him. Noodle had one hand over her mouth and her face twitched as if she were hiding a laugh. Russel stated, "It's happening again." Murdock seemed confused by this statement, so Russel elaborated while motioning with his hand, "Your eye."

Murdock slapped a hand over his eye and growled with frustration. Noodle let out a short chuckle while Russel shook his head. 2D let out a long breath, relieved to no longer be the center of attention, and relaxed into his seat as he observed his bandmate's banter.

"Man, you need to get that thing checked out," Russel advised, "see an optometrist or somethin'."

"It's fine!" Murdock spat, referring to the eye which had lately been refusing to look in the correct direction whenever he spoke for too long. "It just needs some rest!"

"You've been saying that for weeks," Russel replied. "When we start having interviews, our fans are gonna think you've got issues."

"Or, they'll just assume I'm on drugs then move on with their lives," Murdock huffed. "They probably won't notice anything, as long as I don't take _you_ along to the interviews to point it out to everyone. And I don't think _you_ 'll be coming along either," Murdock added as he turned to Noodle, who was still struggling to hold back her laughter.

"Can I be excused from the interviews too?" Asked 2D hopefully.

"No," Murdock responded, casting 2D a glare which told him that there would be no arguing.

2D sighed and sipped his tea. It wasn't that he didn't like the interviews; in fact, he loved having the chance to open up to his fans around the world. However, Murdock tended to behave somewhat unpredictably lately, and 2D didn't want to be around when the Bassist finally snapped and attacked an interviewer. Also, he wasn't sure what he would say in front of Murdoc if people asked what happened to their old Jeep...


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1.**

 _Chapter 2: Boundaries_

Soon, the group was exiting the Parlour and climbing into their beat-up Cadillac. 2D crawled into the backseat and sat hunched over, staring gloomily at his knees. Soon, he would be back at that haunted mess of a house which Murdoc had dubbed their new home. Their semi-relaxing meal and chat had done little to soothe the singer's frayed nerves, and he couldn't help but worry about what else they might find in that house. Perhaps there would be man-eating plants on the back porch, or a fire demon in the oven. 2D wouldn't be surprised if there were a ghost whale hiding in the attic, just for him.

He jumped when something bumped into his side and turned quickly to find that Noodle had slid in next to him. Her green eyes searched his dark ones, gauging his mood. "Still worried about the house?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

She leaned comfortingly into his side. "Don't be. I won't let anything hurt you." 2D nodded and blushed slightly. He had once considered himself to be like a big brother to Noodle, there to protect her when there were thunderstorms or play with her when she was bored, but lately their roles seemed to have reversed. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing; 2D was proud of the strong, confidant, jujutsu-fighting woman she had become, and it was comforting to have someone around who could easily win most fights with the undead or the living. It was, however, slightly embarrassing to 2D that he couldn't look after himself. Last time he had tried, he ended up being hospitalized after attempting to eat the raw meat of a beached whale.

Nevertheless, he appreciated her comfort. As Murdoc and Russel argued over who should be in charge of the radio, he relaxed steadily, his tension winding away as the guitarist's warmth seeped into him. It perplexed him that she always seemed to know when he could use some comforting company, but he couldn't be more pleased. 2D took a minute to reminisce on how his friendship with the guitarist had developed over the past few months.

The two bandmates had been as close as ever since Wobble Street, often talking for hours about their thoughts or jamming out as they generated ideas for their newest album. They shared memories of their past, coming to terms with the ways that Murdoc's assassination attempts and kidnappings had twisted their lives. Stuart's desolate memories of Plastic Beach had faded away after countless zombie movie nights with his best friend. Just seeing her made his chest feel light; the stress in his mind would drift away like passing clouds as he basked in her company, tossing around lyrics for new songs, laughing over cheesy films, and discussing the band's future. Despite the fact that he now lived in a haunted house, 2D considered this to be a high point in his life.

He hoped that things could stay like this forever. No more separation. No more gloomy, isolated times like his stay at Plastic Beach. He felt tempted to pull Noodle into a big hug right there, in the backseat, and never let go, but he held off, knowing that he would get odd looks from his bandmates, and knowing that he and Noodle still had boundaries.

2D sighed. He didn't want to make Noodle uncomfortable, and he didn't want to make their friendship awkward, but sometimes he wished that he didn't have to worry about what was proper for friends to do and what wasn't. Life is confusing enough without all of those complex social rules. Everything would be so much easier if there were no boundaries.…

Murdoc started the car and took off abruptly with a loud rev of the engine. The back seat lurched as they careened out of the parking lot, and 2D, caught off guard and neglecting to wear a seatbelt, jerked sideways with a yelp. He crashed into Noodle, and together they fell sideways across the backseat.

2D groaned, raising his hand to gingerly touch his forehead where it had knocked against something hard. Lifting his head slightly to observe the cause of his pain, he found himself staring at Noodle's chin. His gaze traveled up to meet Noodle's shocked, wide-eyed stare. 2D felt his stomach drop. If Noodle's chin was right there, then the soft object cushioning his own chin must be…

2D's cheeks went red as he scrambled to remove himself from his youngest bandmate, only to fall over again as one of his hands was trapped under her waist. This time, he landed face-first on her stomach. Noodle gasped sharply at the impact, causing 2d's insides to squirm with guilt and nerves. Noodle may be his friend, but he had definitely just crossed a line, and the guitarist could sure pack a punch when she was angry. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for her to karate chop him in the face.

It was with confusion that he felt Noodle's stomach twitch under him and heard her begin to chuckle. Rising up (carefully this time), he looked down warily at the giggling guitarist and was about to apologize for his tumble when she broke into unrestrained laughter.

"2D-san! Your face is as red as a strawberry!"

His blush deepened as he stuttered, "S-sorry, love…"

Noodle shook her head, her eyes squeezed closed as laughter racked through her body. Not knowing what else to say, 2D continued to watch her nervously until she regained enough composure to speak. "It's fine, you klutz. But next time, wear a seatbelt!"

2D let out a small chuckle, consoled by Noodle's lighthearted response to their situation. As the two of them sat back up in their seats, they noticed Russel peering back at them with a raised eyebrow. "'Ey, you two okay back there?"

"We're fine, Russel-san." Noodle replied with a radiant smile.

Russel focused his gaze on 2D, who gulped nervously as the drummer narrowed his pale eyes. "Take it easy, D. We can't have you injuring our baby-girl."

2D looked down and hastily murmured another apology. Noodle, meanwhile, rolled her eyes. "It was an accident, Russel. 2D always tries to keep me safe." She leaned against 2D and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, causing a fresh blush to stain the singer's cheeks as a feeling like electricity danced across his nerves. Russel sighed and turned back towards the front window just in time to chastise Murdoc as the bassist flew through a stop sign, causing a terrified mother to yank her child back from a crosswalk and a jogger to quickly dive out of the car's way.

As the angry pedestrians' shouts faded into the distance, 2D twiddled his thumbs silently, still feeling rather awkward. However, Noodle seemed completely at ease, and 2D found his tension winding away again as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Tilting his head forward slightly, 2D allowed a few loose strands of Noodle's hair to tickle his nose and brush softly against his cheek. The warmth of her contact never failed to calm his nerves. As he relaxed into the seat and his mind began to wander, a stray thought teased his brain: _I wonder how this contact feels to her._

 **Author's Note: Coming up next: the band returns to the Spirit House. Will any more apparitions make themselves known? Reviews are welcome. Feel free to tell me how I could improve as a writer. Also, feel free to tell me your favorite food. I might include food in future chapters. If you're lucky,** _ **your**_ **favorite food could be featured! Mine, by the way, is ramen noodle soup. Super healthy, I know. Thanks to you guys who have already reviewed, I'm glad you like the story so far! Tata!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter 3: THUD**_

By the time the car rolled back to the curb of the Gorillaz' new home, 2D was barely awake. Noodle's body was tucked comfortably into his side, her warmth lulling him to sleep despite the fact that it was now almost noon. As the car jerked to a stop, the singer's eyelids fluttered before wincing at the glare of sunlight reflecting off the house's windows. His nerves began to tingle with unease as he stared up at the daunting spirit house.

The warmth beside him was suddenly gone as Noodle hopped out of the car, and it was with the utmost reluctance that 2D followed. He lagged behind his bandmates as they approached the door, watching warily as Murdoc reached for the handle. The singer tensed as his bandmate opened the door, then watched as they filed in: Murdoc, then Russel, then Noodle. Noodle turned when she was halfway through the doorway, smiling encouragingly and beckoning for 2D to follow before she disappeared from view. 2D began to shuffle hesitantly towards the door.

"GET IN HERE, FACEACHE! YOU'RE LETTING THE BREEZE IN!"

2D jumped, sprinted up the steps, and launched himself into the house so quickly that he tripped over the doorframe and landed with a crash face-first into the carpet.

"Owww…" 2D moaned, raising a hand to touch his sore cheekbones. He felt a hand on his shoulder and wearily glanced up to find Noodle kneeling beside him, looking worried. As her eyes scanned his face for injuries, their bandmate's voices drifted into the room.

"Is he bleeding? I don't want and blood on my carpet!"

"Shut up, Muds. Go rest your eye or drink orsomethin'. I'm gonna go take a nap."

Their bandmates dispersed as Noodle offered 2D her hand and helped him stand. "Are you feeling all right, Stuart?"

"I'm fine, love," he replied with a sad smile. "Just a bit sore."

"Well, your pills might be in that box," Noodle said, motioning towards one of a couple of large cardboard boxes stacked against the foyer wall. The FedEx workers must have dropped their stuff off while they were at breakfast. "You should probably take some and go rest. Russel said that there was a room you could use upstairs, second door on the left. I'm going to go change into something comfortable, but if you need me, just shout."

Noodle gave him one last parting smile, then picked up a box with a Japanese character scrawled on the side before skipping off to the basement. The basement door slammed behind her, leaving 2D alone in the foyer.

* * *

2D opened the door to his new room slowly, peeking around the edge to make sure nothing… _unexpected_ … was inside. A part of him wished that he had asked Noodle to check the room with him. After all, hadn't the first incident in this house started while they were all split up? But it was too late now; 2D wasn't about to go look for her in the _basement_. Besides, he didn't want to be a burden to his bandmate. He would just have to suck up his fear and be brave.

Picking up his large box, 2D stepped carefully into the room, observing an old, twin-sized bed in the far corner, a cracked window with tattered green curtains, a worn rug whose color couldn't be made out for all the dirt and dust layered upon it, and a matching nightstand-desk-wardrobe set made of deep mahogany wood. The desk rested in front of the window, the nightstand at the bedside, and the wardrobe on the near wall. 2D walked across the room and dropped his box upon the desk. Finding a rusty pocket knife lodged into the window frame, he pulled it loose, cut the tape, and opened his box. He rooted through a mess of clothes and trinkets until he found a small suitcase which he heaved out and threw onto his bed. His pills would be in there.

2D felt his nerves subsiding as he looked around the empty, quiet room. As dingy, creepy-looking, and sinister as it may be, the furniture wasn't attacking him, no spirits were popping out of the drawers, and no spiders were crawling out from beneath the floorboards. 2D let out a long breath and felt the tension leaving his body and his mind. Leaning forward with his palms pressed against the faded bedsheets and his head bowed, he allowed his eyes to close and the world around him to vanish. He focused on the sound of his steady breaths as they were drawn in… and out… and in… and out… and in… and out.

The room was silent, peaceful even. _Maybe,_ 2D thought _, I judged this place too quickly. There are no zombies in the yard, no pirate jets in the sky… This is actually quite nice. Dirty, but nice. And I've got all of my bandmates back around me. For once, we're all fine._

He smiled softly to himself. _This could turn out to be one of the most calm places I've ever lived in._

 _THUD._

2D spun around. His gaze fell upon the wardrobe. His pulse began to quicken, and he kept his eyes locked on the tall wooden structure, his thoughts racing.

 _It was nothing… It was probably nothing… but maybe it was something! Just when I thought I could relax, this house has to start being scary again!_ 2D struggled to keep his breathing even, to swallow the fear he felt rising in his throat. _I was probably just hearing things… yeah, just hearing things. Nothing's wrong, I'm safe, everything's okay-_

 _THUD._

"NOODLE!" 2D cried out, scrambling backwards in fear as he watched the wardrobe doors shake as though something were trying to break free. The back of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he fell upon the duvets, his back slamming roughly into his suitcase in the process. To his horror, the handle of the wardrobe began to twist madly back and forth. 2D's heart was pounding so hard that he almost didn't hear the pounding of feet coming from the stairway. 2D jumped when Noodle burst into the room. Her glasses were gone, revealing shining green eyes. She wore a magenta tank top with a black trousers and had a look of panic on her face.

"Toochi? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Th-th-the w-w-wardrobe!" 2D stammered, pointing a trembling finger at the ominous piece of furniture. "Th-th-there was a n-noise, a-and sh-shaking, and-"

 _THUD._

"AAAAHHHH!" 2D squealed, scrambling over his suitcase to tremble behind what little protection it offered him. Noodle faced the wardrobe tensely as it continued to shake. She took a small step forward, only to freeze when the handle began to twist madly once more. Her gaze locked on the twitching brass handle, Noodle waited to see if the door would open. However, after a few seconds, it became clear that the door was stuck. Noodle took slow, careful steps towards the wardrobe, not stopping until she stood directly in front of the doors. After a moment's hesitation, she reached slowly for the handle.

"N-n-noodle?" 2D squeaked, peering at the guitarist from behind the suitcase. "Wh-wh-what are you d-doing?"

Noodle grasped the handle, and it stopped jerking. The force within the wardrobe seemed to be waiting. The young guitarist closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself to unveil 2D's tormentor.

"N-noods… P-please don't-"

Noodle yanked the door open. 2D screeched in fear as a small, dark shape darted out from the shadowy space and towards the bed. Reacting immediately, Noodle's arm flashed out to seize the attacker before it reached 2D, and she found herself holding onto a tail… a ringed tail.

Noodle let out a breath as she moved her other hand to grasp the struggling creature by its scruff. "It's okay, 2D. It's just a raccoon."

"KILL IT! KILL IT!" 2D wailed. "It wants to kill me!"

"What's going on in here?" Russel rubbed his eyes as he strolled drowsily into the room to behold 2D trembling behind a suitcase and Noodle holding a struggling raccoon. "Where'd you find a raccoon?"

"It was hiding in 2D's wardrobe," Noodle responded, sparing a glance for the terrified singer before turning back to Russel. "It was scaring him."

2D muttered something about the demon raccoons before hiding his face behind the suitcase. Russel shook his head out of exasperation for his high-strung bandmate, then turned to observe the raccoon.

"Noodle-girl, that thing looks old and sick. You'd better give him to me, I'll put him out of his misery. Maybe I'll even make him into a hat for 2D."

Noodle sighed. Russel was right; despite its fevered struggling, the ragged animal looked like it was half-dead already. As its thrashing slowed, Noodle held out the raccoon for Russel to take. "Alright. You can have him."

Russel accepted the raccoon and turned to leave the room. He glanced back over his shoulder when he heard whimpering coming from behind the suitcase, then looked at Noodle. Speaking softly, he said, "Hey, you should probably stick around to make sure 'D calms down properly. It sounds like he could use some company."

Noodle nodded. "Of course. I've been meaning to spend some time with him anyway." Russel smiled in thanks then left the room, closing the door softly behind him. As his footsteps faded down the stairway and into the distance, the room went silent. The only sounds to be heard were the whimpers and sniffles coming from 2D.

* * *

2D was curled up as tightly as he could manage, hands grasping either side of his head and eyes squeezed shut. A stream of terrified whimpers escaped him as horrifying images flashed across his mind: the fangs of a snarling raccoon, the cold fury in the animal's dead eyes, claws reaching towards him… He willed those images away only to receive a vision of himself in a dark room surrounded by ominous, rattling doors. Their knobs and handles twisted and squeaked as, one by one, they opened around him to reveal scary faces, screeching monsters with sharp teeth, howling spirits which lunged towards him. The sound of malevolent laughter echoed through his brain as he lay there quivering. 2D thought to himself, _I was right about this place… It wants to hurt me… It's going to kill me…_ Tucking his knees more tightly into his chest, 2D tried to shut out the visions, and to make himself invisible behind his suitcase.

The evil laughter in his head was getting louder, so loud that he couldn't hear himself think. When his bed jerked suddenly beneath him, he let out a small cry of fright and felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes. The bed creaked, and he felt his stomach drop as he realized something was crawling towards him. He sensed it creep up to his back and loom over him, felt it's warm breath against his ear. He froze as it whispered…

"Toochi… Calm down, Toochi… Shhh… It's okay. I'm right here; I won't let anything hurt you."

The quiet murmur tingled in the singer's ears. His whimpers paused as he listened, and he found the cacophony of angry noises in his head subsiding as the voice drew his focus, washing over him and absorbing him in its calming hum. His visions flickered like a dying candle, the nightmarish monsters backed into their dark doorways and faded into nothing as the doors closed upon them. He felt a hand come to rest gently on his back; instead of recoiling, 2D relaxed as it caressed him, rubbing small circles over his spine through the thin fabric or his shirt. The tension in his back dissipated under the hand's warm touch. 2D felt the warmth spreading from the skin of his back into his chest as his heart rate gradually slowed, easing back into a calm and steady pattern.

2D opened his eyes. Bedsheets obscured his view until he lifted his gaze to find Noodle leaning over him, watching him with her vivid green eyes. She smiled.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah," 2D sighed. "Thanks, love. Is… Is the monster gone? The one that was in the closet?"

"Yes, 2D. It was just a raccoon, and it's gone now."

2D shuddered. "It wasn't just a raccoon… Did you see its eyes? It was… It was angry… at me…"

"Hush, 2D," Noodle crooned soothingly, continuing to rub soft circles into his back. "Why would a raccoon be angry at you? It was just a sick, scared animal, trying to run away. It never meant to scare you."

2D frowned sadly and lowered his gaze to the bedsheets. _I'm sure I saw something in the creature's eyes,_ he thought. _They were red, and angry, and violent. And it had this feeling coming off of it… like an aura of malevolence... And it had been reaching towards me, with those awful claws… Like it wanted to tear me apart…_ 2D let out another whimper.

A hand snaked beneath his chin as Noodle gently forced him to look up at her. "It's gone now, Stuart. It's just you and me in here. There's nothing to worry about."

2D relaxed. _It is gone now, and as long as Noodle's here, I should be safe._ He sent Noodle a small grin and received a radiant smile in return, lifting his spirits and causing him to grin all the wider. Noodle removed her hand from his back and scooted away from him so that she could sit while leaning against the wall, her legs splayed over the bedspread. She patted the space next to her and 2D, receiving the message eagerly, rose from his curled position and scooted back so that he could lean against the wall with her. Noodle leaned into his side, and 2D, after a moment's hesitation, wrapped an arm gingerly around her shoulders. They sat silently for a minute, sharing each other's warmth.

"Hey, Noodle?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for helping me with the raccoon."

"Anytime, 2D." She smiled. "That's what friends are for."

2D sighed sorrowfully. "It seems like I never really help you much anymore. I'm the only one who needs taking care of here." He cast his gaze down to his lap. "I'm sorry for being such a burden."

Noodle nudged him playfully in the ribs with her elbow. "You're not a burden, 2D. You're my friend, and I like spending time with you. Besides, you've helped me out plenty in the past. I've got years of childhood care to get even with."

2D chuckled slightly. "Childhood doesn't count. Besides, it was Russel who did most of the important stuff. I just liked to mess around."

"Yes, and that made you my favorite playmate."

"Being a playmate isn't the same as helping out and being a true friend."

"Different friends express their care in different ways," Noodle explained. "You may have never been able to cook me a decent breakfast or help me with school, but anyone could tell that you cared, and you helped however you could." She closed her eyes wistfully as she reminisced. "I always felt the most comfortable around you. You were the one who was always ready to have fun, who would never shout, who I could go to when I had a nightmare… When we were on tour, you were always there when I was stressed. Even when you couldn't quite understand why, you were there. And then, after plastic beach…" 2D felt Noodle tense momentarily beside him and sensed a flash of pain at the memory coming from her. He tightened his grip around her shoulders, and she relaxed. "You were there. Murdoc was always drunk, and Russel was always yelling at Murdoc, but you just wanted to make sure everyone was okay." 2D remembered that time. He remembered being simultaneously confused and overjoyed to have all of his friends back around him, and he remembered wishing, through all of their squabbling, that they could just stay together, once and for all, and be safe and happy. And he remembered watching Noodle in particular, since she had seemed so damaged, and she had been gone for so long…"

"I noticed, you know," Noodle said with a hint of mischief in her voice. "The way you'd check in on me before you went to work each morning."

2D felt his cheeks go pink, thinking back to Wobble Street. "I'm sorry… I tried to open the door quietly, so I wouldn't wake you-"

"It's okay, 2D," Noodle laughed. "It was cute. Endearing. And it was comforting to know that there was still someone looking out for me."

2D smiled broadly. It was nice to think that he had done something right during that time, that he had helped his friend. He leaned his head onto hers so that his cheek rested against her soft, tousled hair. "I'll always look out for you, love. I'll always try, anyways. If nothing else, the zombies will probably eat me before they eat you."

Noodle laughed out loud and 2D joined her. The sound of their glee filled the room, making it seem brighter. 2D could almost imagine that they were two normal people in a normal house, living normal lives and laughing over things that normal friends laughed over. He looked down at the girl sitting beside him and thanked fate that after all this time, this wonderful person was still in his life. _Goodness knows why she's still here, the way Murdoc treats her, the way he treats all of us… Honestly, this whole band is a mess. Why did she come back after Plastic Beach? Heck, why didn't I leave before Plastic Beach?_ 2D thought for a moment, trying to understand his twisted life. _Oh yeah… I got kidnapped._ 2D sighed inwardly. _But Noodle didn't get kidnapped. Why's she still hanging around with us?_

2D's train of thought was suddenly derailed as the bedroom door flew open with a bang, ricocheting off the wall and causing 2D to jump. Murdoc strutted into the room, brandishing a bottle of hard lemonade. He waved it through the air as he announced, "Alright, mates. New plans for tonight. Unpack your best clothes quickly, 'cause we're going clubbing!"

"Ummm… Murdoc? Sh-shouldn't we get settled in first? Take some time to get used to this place?"

"Nope. You said yourself that you didn't want to be in this house, so you can't object to a bit of fun. We're going to a club called Strobelite. A bunch of our collaborators will be there, we'll meet up and have a great time and get smashed!" Murdoc emphasized this point by swinging his bottle into a nearby lamp, which promptly fell over with a crash.

 _Come to think of it,_ 2D thought, _that's not a bad idea. A bit of fun might help me with my nerves._

Noodle's voice broke through his thoughts. "Okay, Murdoc. We'll be ready by evening. Why don't you stop drinking now so that you'll have a braincell left when we meet our collaborators?

Murdoc threw her a cold look. "I'll stop when I'm dead." He took a large swig of his drink, emptying it in the process, then tossed the bottle through the doorway behind him. They heard it clinking as it fell down the stairway. "I don't suppose either of you two know where we packed the rest of the alcohol?"

2D and Noodle both shook their heads, and Murdoc stumbled sourly out of the room, muttering something about useless bandmates. The pair watched him disappear through the doorway and heard multiple thuds as he apparently tripped down the staircase. 2D winced as a final loud _bam_ indicated that the bassist has reached the bottom of the stairs, and Noodle called out, "Murdoc? Are you okay?"

An angry stream of curses responded, followed by a terse shout, "Be ready to go by nine!"

As the sound of his muttered curses receded, 2D and Noodle glanced at each other. 2D noticed an odd glint in here eye, a curious edge to her smile. He tilted his head for a moment, pondering her expression, before his mouth curved into a knowing smirk.

"You know where his alcohol is, don't you?"

Noodle winked at him. "Maybe. But I think he's had enough for now."

2D was impressed. The clever guitarist always seemed to be two steps ahead of Murdoc's antics. _If I'd tried to hide his alcohol,_ 2D thought, _he'd see right through me._ Without really thinking about it,2D ruffled his bandmate's hair fondly. It occurred to him a moment later that the mature guitarist might not appreciate having her hair messed with like a child's, but rather than swatting his hand away, Noodle simply smiled and allowed him to continue. 2D felt a beam of happiness strike his heart; he was glad that Noodle welcomed his attention. After all these years, their Zen bond was still holding strong.

Noodle sighed, closing her eyes at his touch. When she re-opened her eyes, there was a trace of resignation in her expression. "I'd better go, 2D. I need to figure out which box I put my good outfits in." She scooted away from him and off the bed. 2D sighed inwardly; he was sad to lose her company, even if she would only be two floors away. Before leaving entirely, Noodle cast the singer a final parting grin. "Get some rest now 'D. You will be expected to dance tonight!" With that, she skipped out the door.

Although sorrowful at her absence, 2D felt a glimmer of excitement building in his chest. _A night out… This is going to be fun!_ He imagined himself on a dancefloor filled with flashing, colorful lights and young people having the times of their lives… His bandmates dancing around him… And Noodle would be on the floor somewhere. Would she be dancing near him? 2D mulled over Noodle's parting words. _I'll be expected to dance… Of course, I'm the 'pretty boy' of the band, it'll be good for publicity to have me out dancing. But will Noodle want to dance with me?_ 2D shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. _Noodle can dance with whoever she wants. Probably with someone closer to her own age. But…_ 2D felt a strange desire tug at his heart. _It would be nice to spend some time dancing with my Zen buddy…_

 **Author's note: Coming up next, a chapter based on one of my favorite songs from the album, Strobelite!**

 **So, I just finished my plot outline of this story as a whole and have 2 pieces of news to give: First off, my current projection predicts that this story will have 14 chapters. Second, the chapters are going to be longer than the first two, like this one. So, if you like long stories with planned, well-constructed plots, give a cheer! If you hate stories which take forever to finish, then go ahead and start crying now!**

 **That being said, I am still open to suggestions in regards to what you all want to see in this story. If there's something you want to happen or a song from the new album you want me to weave into the storyline, let me know! Review! And listen to Strobelite!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter 4: Strobelite**_

Grunting softly with effort, Noodle lifted a large cardboard box into the air before dumping the contents onto her bed, adding to a growing pile of various articles of clothing. Noodle's eyes skimmed over the pile before the guitarist let out a frustrated sigh. She had already unpacked undergarments, some casual tees and jeans, and her workout clothing, but had yet to find the outfit she was looking for. However, her elusive clothing was not the only reason that Noodle was frustrated.

As she kneeled next to another cardboard box, Noodle thought about her bandmate and best friend, 2D. As long as she had known the blue-haired singer, he had been one of the most stable sources of positivity in the band. Although stricken by frequent bouts of confusion and, occasionally, terror, 2D had always been quick to recover from Murdoc's aggressions and attacks from the undead. Noodle recalled how, when they had lived in Kong, 2D could often be found wandering the halls with a clueless smile or curled in front of the television with a relaxed grin, empty-headed for the most part, but happy. He would be the one to cheer her up when she felt down, when she got sick of Murdoc's antics or when she would muse sorrowfully over her forgotten past. He was always there with a grin and a knack for forgetting his own woes.

But lately…

Noodle bowed her head solemnly as she picked at the tape sealing the box with her magenta-painted nails. _2D hasn't been the same since Plastic Beach,_ she thought. _I guess he was trapped there too long; he can't let go of it like he's let go of so many other things. An experience like that can't just be forgotten._ The edge of the tape began to lift from the cardboard. Noodle grasped it, peeling it back. _Even though he doesn't talk about it much anymore, even if he's not trying to do so much as think about it, I'll bet it's still stewing in the back of his mind. That would explain why he's so much more nervous than he used to be. I thought he was getting better for a while, or at least had found some stability while we were at Wobble Street. But ever since we arrived here, he's been so on edge. I admit this place is weird, but we've lived in plenty of weird places before. Heck, I don't think we've ever been some place normal. But this place is getting to him, more than any other place we've lived._ Noodle shook her head sadly as she thought of her bandmate, remembering how helpless he had looked curled on his bed, crying over fear of a 'demon' raccoon. She pictured his downcast eyes when he had apologized for being a burden, recalling how his shoulders sagged and his spine hunched forward. _Poor Toochie…_

Noodle's hand formed a fist around the tape she was holding. The material crinkled in her grasp as her eyes squeezed closed. When she opened her eyes, their emerald depths glittered with determination. _2D is going to have fun tonight. I'll make sure of it._ She ripped the tape off the box then rose to her feet, box in hand, and thrust the contents onto her bed. Noodle grinned in triumph as a deluge of kimonos and dresses fell atop her pile of clothing. As she ran her hands through the fine fabrics, she pictured herself and her bandmates on the dance floor, lights flashing around them as they moved and smiled. She imagined 2D in particular, beaming, laughing and jumping with her in the rhythm of the music. _I'm going to make sure he has a good time. He deserves it, after all he's been through. We both deserve it._ Noodle closed her hand around a swatch of leopard-print fabric and lifted it to reveal one of her new dresses. Holding the dress against her body, Noodle closed her eyes for a moment, imagining the dance floor around her and swaying slightly as if she were already there with her bandmates. She grinned and opened her sparkling eyes as she hopped with anticipation. _Tonight's going to be perfect!_

 _..._

2D glanced at an old wooden grandfather clock as he leaned against the foyer wall, eager for his bandmates to gather so that they could get out of the house and hit the club. The singer had donned a pair of high-waisted jeans and a stylish flower-patterned shirt for the highly anticipated night out. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell if it was almost nine o'clock yet; reading clocks was a challenge since he always got the hands mixed up.

As he stood alone in the foyer, 2D felt slightly unsettled. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something eerie about the room and felt almost as if something were watching him. His eyes flickered around the room nervously, checking the dark corners for sinister beings, locking eyes with each photograph on the wall to make sure they didn't move or blink. The huge picture on the wall behind him was particularly unnerving. He stared into the blank eyes of the still-framed man for a good thirty seconds before working up the courage to turn his back to the image, then continued to glance back at the image frequently.

The singer's ears perked when he heard Murdoc's rough-edged voice booming upstairs. "Lards! Wake up, you lazy oaf; we're going out! _Now!_ Weren't you listening earlier? If you're not ready in five minutes, we're leaving without you!" The sound of the bassist's impatient muttering grew louder as he appeared at the top of the stairs. As he made his way into the foyer, 2D felt simultaneously glad that he was no longer alone and nervous at Murdoc's sour mood. _Maybe we should have just given him his alcohol…_ The bassist glared at 2D upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, and 2D pressed his body into the wall as Murdoc growled and turned towards the basement door. Arriving at the door quickly, Murdoc hammered his fist against the aged wood and hollered, "Noodle! Get up here, we're leaving!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming! Calm down!" The muffled response was followed by a stream of Japanese statements which grew steadily louder as the sound of footsteps echoed up the basement stairway. Murdoc stepped away from the basement door as it creaked open.

Noodle entered the room, and 2D couldn't hold back a broad smile. She looked wonderful. Her catlike outfit matched perfectly with the playful glow in her eyes, and she was overflowing with a spunky, upbeat spirit which reminded 2D that this was going to be a fun night out. He continued to stare as Noodle approached and met his gaze with her own smile. She stopped in front of him, gave a quick twirl, and said, "New outfit. What do you think?"

"You look beautiful, love." 2D said earnestly, observing with pleasure how her smile widened at his compliment.

"You look great too!" Noodle said, turning so that she could lean shoulder to shoulder against the wall with him. Their arms brushed together as they smiled at each other, 2D reveling in how happy he was to be in the company of the amazing guitarist.

Meanwhile, Murdoc tapped his foot impatiently as Russel appeared at the top of the stairway wearing a T-shirt, beanie, and jeans. The drummer's eyes were half-lidded, and his hand was raised to his mouth as he let out a loud yawn. Murdoc growled with frustration as his eyes skimmed over his sleepy bandmate. "How can you still be tired? You've been sleeping for hours!"

"I like sleep, man." Russel droned. "It's healthy. Maybe if you slept more, your eye wouldn't be so messed up."

"Shut up about my eye!" Murdoc hissed.

"Hey, lighten up," Noodle cut in, her eyes flickering towards the irate bassist. "We should all try to have some fun tonight."

"I'll have fun when I've found some alcohol." Murdoc grumbled before throwing the front door open and stomping towards their car. The rest of the band followed.

...

2D's eyes shone with the ambient neon glow as the Gorillaz entered the Strobelite club. The cheerful greetings of their collaborators merged into the pounding music as the doors closed behind the four bandmates. 2D grinned, already feeling higher than he'd felt in months as the energetic atmosphere perforated his mind and the music pounded with his heartbeat. He felt a light pressure at his side and looked down to find Noodle staring up at him with shining eyes and a smile to match his own. The perfect place, the perfect company… 2D felt absolutely perfect. He glanced towards the happy crowd already on the dance floor and felt excitement bubbling within him. He couldn't wait to get up there.

First, however, some collaborators beckoned them towards a set of couches in a nook of the club with a good view of the dance floor. Russel sank into a chair with a blissful sigh, his eyes quickly closing. Murdoc sat down next to him with an edgy look in his eye, glancing between the collaborators who were trying to hold his attention and the bar where he desperately wanted to be. 2D and Noodle plopped into their own seats across from each other, content to chat with their collaborators for a short while but itching to get up and move with the music.

For the most part the collaborators were trying to speak with Murdoc, leaving 2D free to watch Noodle as she observed the dancing crowd. He found himself staring, mesmerized by the lights dancing in her eyes and the glow bouncing off her glossy, tousled hair. All the while he felt a warm glow of happiness, happiness that he could be here with his friends, especially with the guitarist who had come to mean so much to him. He shivered slightly as he recalled Noodle's earlier hint of a dance together. He had danced with her before, of course. It had been he who helped her develop her moves for the Dare video (how she turned his clumsy moves into something so fantastic was beyond his understanding), and they had had a decent number of dance parties in their rooms back at Kong. However, they hadn't been out too much since Noodle had grown up, and 2D was excited to have the chance to dance with her again, as adults at a real club.

2D noticed that her attention was fixed on a group of partiers around her age who were smiling and dancing, their bodies caught in the neon glow. The singer felt suddenly, uncomfortably aware of his age. 2D shook his head, trying to clear it of the unwelcome feeling. _There are plenty of people my age here. And I've still got a youthful spirit, right? I fit right in!_ But as he watched the young dancers smiling and laughing, he couldn't help remembering how little he had felt carefree lately, how often he had been downcast, unable to smile…

2D sighed, his smile wilting, and began to tear his gaze from the dancers. He had intended to simply stare into his lap but instead found his gaze caught by the young guitarist, who was scanning him with a slightly worried look. 2D offered her a half-hearted smile. _I don't want my mood to bring Noods down. She should be able to have fun tonight._ Neither of the bandmates, having endured their own trials and woes, could claim to be as carefree as the dancers they had been observing. Nevertheless, 2D knew that Noodle hadn't lost her spark of youth; he could see life and excitement shining out from her emerald eyes, and he could almost feel the energy radiating off of her. _She could fit right in with those dancers._ 2D broke his eye contact with Noodle, feeling ashamed to be the cause of her worry, and looked reluctantly back at the dancers. _She should go up there with them. She'll have more fun when she stops worrying over me. As for me…_ 2D sighed to himself, lowering his gaze to his knees. _I'm just an emotional wreck. All day, all I've been is sad, scared, and nervous. I shouldn't be dampening this place with my negative feelings. I should've just stayed home._

As a song ended, 2D heard cheers and shouts from the crowd, anticipating their next tune. The singer looked up when he heard a familiar beat begin to pump through the room. _Strobelite._ It was one of the new songs that the band had been working on. The crowd murmured with excitement as it began, and an inviting space opened in the middle of the dancefloor.

Noodle jumped up, her eyes practically glowing as she approached the floor with a wide smile. 2D watched her go with a slight ache in his chest. _She'll probably find some cheerful people in the crowd to dance with. *sigh…* At least I'll be able to watch._

As Noodle arrived at the center of the floor, 2D's heart nearly stopped when she turned to look not at the crowd, but directly at 2D. She sent him a playful grin and beckoned for him to join her. Suddenly, 2D couldn't remember what he had been thinking about just a moment ago. He was only aware of the beautiful young guitarist who was currently signaling for him to join her.

In a trance, 2D rose to his feet, vaguely aware that he was smiling, vaguely aware that his other two bandmates were grumbling and snoring behind him. As he approached Noodle, she kneeled and stretched out her hands; a luminous cyan rope appeared out of nowhere connecting her fingers to his neck. _This place has got some cool visual effects,_ 2D thought as, getting into the spirit of the place, he zombie-walked the remaining distance to meet his smiling bandmate. They stood face to face, grinning broadly at each other.

"Glad you could make it," Noodle teased. 2D, unable to think of a clever response, simply smiled wider.

Then, they danced.

2D was amazed by how naturally the dance came to them. Their Zen bond seemed to be working in overdrive as they matched each other's moves perfectly, stepping closely together in the rhythm of the music. 2D had nearly forgotten how fun it was to dance with Noodle. This was even more fun than their old dance sessions back at Kong; 2D felt as if he were flying as Noodle and he glided across the backlit floor, coasting through the electric atmosphere as the neon lights dyed their skin in otherworldly hues. The music was pounding around them, the crowd was energetically cheering the pair on. 2D's mind was swirling with the lights, the sounds, and the ecstatic feelings coursing through his body. He smiled giddily down at his dance partner and found that she was watching him and looking particularly pleased with herself. The pair continued to dance, pulling out odd moves that they had made up themselves and never failing to match each other's steps.

...

2D and Noodle danced the whole evening away, occasionally joined by their collaborators and other members of the crowd, stopping only briefly to rest a few times and have some light drinks before returning to the floor. Murdoc, who had joined a mustachioed man drinking at the bar not long after the pair had begun dancing, soon found himself quite drunk, probably high as well, but undeniably happier than he had been upon entering the club. He even joined 2D and Noodle on the dance floor for a while, swaying and snickering next to a group of young women as a magenta-colored cocktail sloshed about in one of his hands. As for Russel… well… he was catching up on his sleep.

As the song _Out of Body_ began to pound through the building, 2D and Noodle found themselves in the center of a throng of dancing patrons, the crowd pushing them closer together as they danced. No longer having the space to do the elaborate steps they had performed for _Strobelite,_ they settled for simpler moves as they jumped and swayed with the crowd. Both of the pair had had a few drinks, not enough to seriously impair their judgement, but enough to make the music feel louder and the lights around them seem to gleam brighter.

2D was on cloud 9, not remembering to worry or even to think at all as he let the crowd and the music move him, up and down, side to side, and always with Noodle stepping toe to toe or swaying hip to hip with him. At the moment, he and Noodle were jumping wildly and smiling manically as the music pushed the crowd into a rave-like frenzy. The floor was so crowded that they were constantly bumping into each other, their elbows clashing or their knees knocking. It was like being inside a human centrifuge, and 2D loved it.

The singer found his eyes drawn constantly to Noodle as she hopped and grooved skillfully to the beat of the song. Noodle smiled up at him, and her green eyes seemed to be filled with stars as they reflected the lights shining around them.

"What are you staring at?" She laughed.

"I'm wondering who taught you to dance so well!" 2D replied, shouting over the noise of the music and the crowd.

"You taught me to dance!" Noodle shouted back.

"The moves look better on you!" 2D replied with a chuckle.

Noodle smirked, edging closer to 2D, and hopped onto her toes, reaching out to pull 2D closer. 2D found himself hunched over slightly as Noodle tucked her chin onto his shoulder, her soft voice trickling directly into his ear. "Don't belittle yourself, Toochie. You're an excellent dance partner."

2D wondered if her hand on the back of his neck registered the quick shiver than coursed through his spine in response to the sensation of her breath tickling his ear. A moment later, Noodle was in front of him again with her radiant smile. 2D was smiling just as wide, high on the fact that she deemed him a worthy dance partner, and they continued to dance wildly with the music.

As the song drew to a close, the crowd cheered and applauded; 2D and Noodle joined in, hollering and clapping until the sound of the applause faded into the loud hum of conversation as people moved off the dance floor. 2D glanced at a digital clock near the bar- _Wow, 1:30 AM already?_ Turning to Noodle, he said, "It's getting pretty late; do you think we should go find the others?"

"Yeah," Noodle replied, glancing up at the now silent speakers. "I think that was their last song for the night. It look's like everyone else is starting to leave." Indeed, their collaborators were putting on coats and advancing towards the doors, retreating into the cool night air. "I'll go wake up Russel. Try to drag Murdoc away from the bar; we can meet up outside at the car, Okay?"

"Sure!" 2D replied with a smile, giving Noodle a crooked salute which made her chuckle before she turned away and left to collect Russel. 2D watched her for a moment, admiring her light, airy steps before remembering his task. Turning towards the bar, he easily spotted Murdoc who had surrounded himself with an array of gleaming glass bottles (all of which had been emptied) and had his arm wrapped around a tall brunette with luxurious waterfall curls. She wore a smile but appeared slightly tense as her gaze flickered nervously between his eyes. As 2D approached them, he called out to gain his bandmate's attention. "Murdoc! The clubs closing up for the night, so we need to be heading off- "

"2-Deeeeeee!" Murdoc cried as he turned to face the blue-haired man with a smile. 2D immediately saw what was worrying the brunette: one of Murdoc's eyes was rolling around in drunken circles while the other starred listlessly ahead. "2-Dents, Dullard, my pal, my slave; how nice of you to join us! May I introduce you to… errr… sorry, what's your name again?" The bassist turned back to his female companion, who whipped out her cell phone and studied it with an expression of mock concern.

"Oh, I really must take this call. It was… um… a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Niccals… Bye."

As she scurried away, Murdoc called after her, "Don't forget, I live at the haunted house! Stop by anytime!" The woman cast him one last nervous glance before speedwalking out the door. Murdoc let out a satisfied hum before turning to 2D with a lopsided smile. "Looks like I got me a keeper, eh? Betcha she'll already be at the house by the time we get back." 2D just nodded. At least drunk Murdoc was being nice. "Hey, you should have been hanging out over here with me! I'm sure I could've found a decent bird for you too, we could have chatted them up together. It's been a while for you, hasn't it? You could use some nice female _company_." Murdoc finished that sentence with a wiggle of his tongue and a twist of his hips which made the term "company" sound awfully suggestive.

There was a time when 2D would have gladly hung out with Murdoc to find company, but for whatever reason, 2D didn't feel the need to seek a woman to spend time with. After all, he was having plenty of fun with Noodle- _not that I consider her to be like_ _ **that**_ _sort of company… gosh, I need to just stop thinking._ "Thanks for the offer, but… ehm… I think I'm fine. Let's go, we're supposed to meet Noodle and Russel back at the car."

Murdoc sighed, rolling one of his eyes, and rose to his feet. As he began sway sideways, 2D placed a firm hand on the bassist's shoulder, steadying him. 2D began pulling Murdoc gently towards the door as the bassist called backwards towards the barkeep, "Hey, Carl! How about a few bottles for the road? Just toss them to me!" Carl, however had turned away and was pretending not to hear the drunk man's requests. Seeing an opportunity in the barkeep's inattention, Murdoc made sure to snatch a few bottles off the nearest shelf before he was pulled away from the bar. Murdoc snickered as he held the bottles to his chest. As 2D led him towards the door, Murdoc rekindled their earlier conversation. "So, you're not interested in catching birds with me, are ya? What is it, then? You already caught one? Tell all, tell all!"

"I haven't 'caught one,'" 2D replied with a hint of exasperation. "I'm just not looking."

"Hmmm, right." Murdoc replied, smirking. He walked in silence for a few moments before stating, "You spent an awful lot of time with Noodle tonight, didn't you? Had fun?"

2D felt his cheeks redden, and his neck felt rather warm. "We're best friends, of course we had fun together. We'll always be able to have fun together. And we'll always be friends."

"Right, right," Murdoc said, beginning to giggle slightly.

2D's neck felt warmer. "What're you laughing at?"

Murdoc's giggles broke into a quick bout of full-scale laughter. "Ha! Nothing, not laughing at anything! Heh heh… you and Noodle can have all the fun you want in club friendship, I won't laugh!"

When they finally made it outside, the cool air was a relief to 2D's heated skin and tingling nerves. He spotted Noodle at the car, coaxing Russel into the driver's seat. _Probably a good idea, since he hasn't been drinking. I sure hope he doesn't fall asleep, though…_ 2D pondered the drummer's condition for a moment. _He sure has been sleeping a lot lately. Is he sick?_ The singer looked at his bandmate's pale eyes. They were glowing as brightly white as ever, but 2D could see dark rings of exhaustion forming around them. _I'll have to ask Russel sometime if he's alright._

2D led Murdoc to the front passenger's seat. "Since you're so talkative tonight, why don't you help Russel stay awake?"

"Yeah, yeah," Murdoc said with a wink. "I'll sit up here, and you can go sit in the back with your _special friend_. Try not to have too much fun!" Murdoc laughed as he took his seat, and 2D shut the door after him, his blush returning. The singer stepped to the back-passenger door and slid in next to Noodle.

When 2D saw her smiling up at him, his frustration over Murdoc slipped out of his mind almost instantaneously. Recent memories of dancing and colorful lights soothed his thoughts and filled him with a pleasant warmth. "Are you having a good evening, love?"

Still looking up at him, Noodle leaned into his shoulder. "I've had a wonderful evening. I am starting to feel a little tired, though,"

Noodle finished of her sentence with a wide yawn that 2D found adorable. "That's okay. You can sleep while we're driving back, I won't keep you up."

Noodle grinned sleepily, then cuddled into 2D's side, her eyes closed and her forehead nestled against 2D's shoulder. 2D smiled softly down at her, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed, beginning to feel somewhat sleepy himself. He heard a chuckle coming from the front and looked up to see Murdoc glancing back at him with a sly look in his eyes (or at least in the one eye that wasn't rolling like a pinball). Murdoc winked then turned back to the front, shouting excitedly, "Look, a Waffle House! Let's stop for some grub!"

Murdoc made a dive for the car's wheel, but Russel held him off with one arm. " _No._ We are going _home,_ so that I can get some _sleep_!" Murdoc continued to make drunken swings for the wheel, but Russel held him off easily.

2D observed their squabble for a minute before his gaze fell back upon the guitarist tucked cozily into his side. He felt his eyelids drooping, feeling heavy in contrast with his weightless, happy mind. A sense of warmth and contentment filled him as he felt his head resting on top of Noodle's, a sheet of darkness snuffing out his thoughts as he fell asleep.

...

For the third time in the past 24 hours, the Gorillaz's car pulled up to their derelict wooden house. The gentle jolt of the vehicle as it came to a stop and the sudden cutoff of the engine's soothing hum caused two pairs of eyes in the backseat to slowly blink awake. 2D felt warm, warm and comfortable, but reluctantly he untangled himself from the guitarist whom he had been cuddling with in his sleep. Said guitarist met his sleepy gaze as he said, "Let's get inside. We could both use a good rest in our proper beds."

Leaning slightly against each other for warmth and support, the pair exited the car and led the way up to the spirit house as Russel followed with an incredibly tipsy Murdoc in tow.

Although most of his mind was consumed by drowsiness, 2D also felt happy. The night out had reminded him that whatever situation the Gorillaz happened to find themselves in, life went on; he could continue to count on the help of his bandmates (his Zen buddy in particular) to help him face his fears and have fun.

As 2D lifted his tired feet up the steps to the front door, he looked at the house with a new sense of peace. _The others have been telling me not to be freaked out about this place, and they're right. The ghosts we saw earlier can't be any worse than Kong's zombies. Besides. We haven't seen a hint of the ghosts since this morning._ 2D stepped away from Noodle so that he could stoop down to fetch his key from under the doormat (he hadn't trusted himself to take it to the club, since he had a bad habit of loosing such small objects). _This house is nothing to fear. I'm going to be fine. We're all going to be fine._ Smiling to himself, 2D twisted the key into the lock and opened the door.

The first thing he saw was blood on the walls.

Then he screamed.

 **Yay, excitement! This was the longest chapter yet, and very fun to write!**

 **I've realized that I'm writing 2D's perspective with a little more thoughtfulness and intelligence than he's usually perceived to have. Since it's hard to write thoughts for a character who's supposed to be relatively thoughtless, I'm going to continue to write as if 2D is smarter that people typically give him credit for. Also, I'm not even going to try to write proper British accents. I'd probably just end up making the dialogue feel awkward.**

 **Coming up next, revelations about the Spirit House! The Gorillaz will start down the path of trying to understand why their new home is out of whack! Will they figure out what's wrong with the house? And will Noodle be able to calm 2D out of his screaming fit?**

 **If you have any suggestions, (constructive) criticisms, or offhand comments, feel free to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter 5: Written in Red**_

As 2D stooped to pick up his keys, Noodle yawned. It had been a long night. A very fun long night, mind you. Hours of dancing had left her limbs heavy and limp, and she was ready to collapse into bed and fall into a deep, restful sleep. Head drooping and eyes half closed, Noodle's thoughts crept back to the dance floor, to the strobe lights flashing, and to 2D dancing with her, smiling and jumping, stepping and swinging, happy and content… Noodle smiled to herself, looking forward to reliving those memories in her dreams.

Her reverie was broken by 2D's scream of terror.

Noodle's head jerked up immediately. She saw 2D standing in the open doorway, silhouetted in the light streaming out of their foyer as he stumbled backwards, screeching. The singer tripped over the doormat, almost falling before Noodle caught his back and steadied him. Alarmed but curious, Noodle glanced around 2D to see what he had noticed through the open door.

Her eyes widened when she saw the fresh red stains which covered the walls of the entryway. Floor to ceiling, the room was decorated with strange symbols drawn in crimson fluid. As her eyes scanned the eerie scene, Noodle felt a tingle in the back of her mind. _These symbols are familiar to me, but I can't remember where I've seen them before. Have I come across this language while traveling? In a book?_ As she pondered the symbols, Noodle's eyes drifted back to the center of the room, to the spot most clearly visible from the doorway. This was the only spot not occupied by the strange script and was instead adorned with two English characters she instantly recognized.

2D.

The guitarist felt her bandmate shaking under her steadying hands. Removing her support from his back, Noodle stepped in front of 2D, looking into his face. The singer had stopped screaming but was now hyperventilating severely. The singer's eyes had paled with fright, and his gaze remained fixed on his red-lettered name.

Noodle breathed in deeply, momentarily letting her eyes droop closed, then let her breath out slowly, feeling her emotions stabilize and her inner calm take over. Opening her eyes, she raised her hands to grasp her bandmate's shoulders.

"2D," she spoke softly, in as soothing a tone as she could manage. "I know you're scared right now. It's okay to be scared." His shoulders trembled in her grip, and Noodle wasn't entirely sure that he was hearing her. "I need you to calm down a little. Just breathe. Calm down."

Noodle watched 2D as he continued to hyperventilate. His gaze, although somewhat hard to decipher, didn't seem to have moved from the writing on the walls. Noodle moved one of her hands to take 2D's chin and tilt his head gently towards her, trying to make eye contact with him. However, his pale eyes didn't meet hers. "Look at me, 2D. Breathe. I'm right here, you'll be okay." But his heavy, gasping breaths continued, with an edge of a whimper creeping into each exhalation. Noodle was feeling very worried for her friend, whose unresponsive state seemed impenetrable. _How can I get him to snap out of this?_ She tilted her head slightly to the side. _Perhaps some sort of shock would do the trick… No, no, I want him to stabilize, he probably just needs some time-_

THWACK.

2D dropped like a stone, falling with a _thunk_ across the wooden boards of the porch. His head dangled pathetically over the top stair. Noodle stared slack-jawed and wide-eyed at her unconscious friend. After a long moment, her expression of shocked disbelief began to disappear, replaced by a scowl of violent anger which would send the faint-hearted running for their lives. She looked up to lock eyes with Murdoc, who was standing at the singer's head holding a thick glass bottle and looking very pleased with himself.

"Problem solved! You're welcome!"

"MURDOC NICCALS!" Noodle shouted furiously, her fists clenched. "WE DO NOT KNOCK OUR BANDMATES UNCONSCIOUS WHEN THEY'RE SCARED!"

"It worked though, dinnit?" Murdoc replied, unable to stop grinning. "He stopped freaking out, just like you wanted!"

Noodle growled angrily, taking a threatening step towards the bassist. Angry heat was building in her chest; it was a wonder she wasn't on fire. She would have punched him if he weren't obviously drunk. _Heck, I should probably punch him anyway._

"What's got Dents so worked up, anyway?" Murdoc said as he stumbled past the fuming guitarist and through the open door. He looked at the bloodstained wall and his grin widened. Noodle watched, dumbstruck, as he began to laugh. "Ha! Look at that! The house really does have it in for him, doesn't it?" Murdoc entered the house, and Noodle spared one last worried glance towards 2D. Russel, shaking his head with exhaustion and exasperation, had approached the singer and was lifting his limp, skinny frame into his arms. They followed Murdoc into the house.

"Hmmm, this is interesting, very interesting!" Murdoc cackled as if he were observing the pages of an unwholesome magazine. "Oh, look!" He said, pointing. "My name's up here too!" Noodle's gaze followed his finger to a patch of wall just above the stairway. Sure enough, Murdoc's name had been thrown in amongst a line of glistening red symbols. Her eyes narrowing, Noodle scanned the room carefully. She glanced above the creepy portrait and frowned when she found Russel's name drawn over the paint.

"Look, Russel," She said. "You're here too."

"And so are you!" Murdoc cried with glee as he pointed to a Japanese character which all the bandmates had come to recognize scrawled just to the right of the grandfather clock.

Noodle observed Murdoc with irritation as he smiled at the walls, having the time of his life as he made sure that all of his bandmates were included in the disturbing scene. She watched him stroll up to the wall and drag his finger through the scarlet fluid spelling 2D's name, then grimaced as her bandmate stuck the reddened finger into his mouth. "Murdoc, what are you doing?"

"Confirming a theory," Murdoc mumbled around his finger. He sucked on it thoughtfully, his eyes turned towards the ceiling, then removed the finger from his mouth with a _pop._ "Yep, that's blood! Raccoon blood, to be specific, and maybe with a bit of cat or weasel mixed in."

Noodle suddenly felt glad that she had left her own pet, Katsu, in the care of a friend while the band completed their move. "Murdoc, do you recognize these symbols? I feel like I've seen them somewhere before, but I'm not sure where."

"Of cooourse I recognize them!" Murdoc howled drunkenly. "This is a demonic language! Frequently used by citizens of the underworld and beings from the other side!"

 _Of course… I must have seen these while I was tracking down that demon after Plastic Beach, or stumbled across it while looking at one of Murdoc's books._ "Can you read it?" She asked, her frustration giving way to curiosity.

"Yup," Murdoc said, leaning against the wall proudly.

" _Then what does it say?"_ Noodle interrogated.

"Oh… Uhhh…" Murdoc turned back to the wall, looking at the symbols with as much focus as the drunk bassist could muster. "Well, these symbols seem to be foretelling some sort of cataclysmic event. The ones around our names are suggesting that we're involved somehow. I see destruction, doom, peril… Yeah, it looks like this house is inhabited by some evil entities which want to destroy all of humanity and us in particular." Murdoc turned towards Noodle with a self-important smile, proud of himself for giving such a thorough interpretation.

Noodle sighed. "Well, it looks like 2D was right to be wary of this house." She glanced back over the symbols before returning her gaze to the grinning bassist. "Tomorrow we should all try to figure out what exactly is going on around here. We'll need to unpack some of your books and get a more detailed translation of these symbols."

"Sure, sure!" Murdoc said as one of his eyes rolled towards the ceiling. Noodle groaned inwardly. _I get the feeling that someone's going to be incapacitated by a nasty hangover tomorrow._

The guitarist then turned towards Russel, who was standing by the now closed doorway and looking almost as sleepy as the knocked-out singer he had tossed over his shoulder. "Russel, are you in to help investigate this house tomorrow?"

Russel yawned. "I dunno, baby-girl. We'll see how tired I feel tomorrow morning, and maybe if I'm awake enough, I'll pitch in. But I wouldn't count on it."

Noodle looked at the floor sorrowfully. It was down to just her and 2D, if he was up for it. Unfortunately, Noodle wasn't sure that the singer could handle much more of this house. "Okay. Russel, will you take 2D up to his room? I'll go with you; I want to be there when he regains consciousness to make sure he doesn't panic again."

It looked like Russel was about to respond in the affirmative when he was interrupted by Murdoc's giggling. Noodle turned towards Murdoc irately, tired of his drunken interjections. "What is it now, Murdoc?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Murdoc said with a wink. "It's just so _sweeeeet_ to see how you take care of the dullard." He chuckled as Noodle rolled her eyes and Russel stared at him with confusion. "You guys have fun. I'm going to ransack the fridge. I think 2D saw a cake in there earlier." Murdoc stumbled tipsily out of the room, leaving his bandmates behind.

"What was that all about?" Russel asked.

"Nothing. Just Murdoc being himself," Noodle responded.

"Well, I'll carry 'D up to his room. It's no trouble. But after that, I'm going straight to bed." Russel let out another large yawn. "Do me a favor and make sure no one tries to wake me up before I'm ready tomorrow. Whoever disturbs me isn't going to be looking to pretty when I'm finished with them."

. . .

2D groaned softly. His head hurt. However, his back felt very comfortable. _I must be in bed,_ 2D thought. _But how did I get here?_ He tried to jog his memory. Although his eyes were closed, he could tell it was night time since no light was passing through his eyelids. _I can't have been here for too long, then. Unless I've been asleep for a whole day… Or a week… Or a year… That would explain why I can't seem to remember much. Then again, my memory hasn't been very good at all since… uhhh…. For as long as I can remember._ 2D shrugged inwardly. _Oh well. As long as I'm comfortable, I should probably just go back to sleep._

2D became aware of something warm lying somewhere by his left side. _Mmm, is that a heated blanket?_ Smiling drowsily, 2D rolled onto his side and pulled the warm object into his chest. _It must be a heated blanket. It's so cozy._ 2D nuzzled his face into the object when he heard an odd noise. _Do blankets usually sound like they're breathing?_

"2D?"

 _Is that Noodle? When did she get here? Is this her blanket?_ 2D scrunched his eyebrows in thought. _Her voice seemed really close to my face. Wait… Is she in the blanket?_ 2D opened his eyes and leaned back. Noodle was, indeed, in the blanket, which was warm due to her own body heat. By the dim moonlight which streamed through his window, 2D could see the indentation from where he had tucked his nose into the blankets near her neck. She was blinking up at him through sleepy eyes, and 2D felt a pinch of regret at having woken her up. "Hey, Noodle. When did you get here? And… eh… when did I get here?"

It occurred to 2D that Noodle might not feel comfortable being pressed into his chest, so even though she felt super warm and cozy, 2D let his grip go slack and returned his arm to his own patch of blankets. The two bandmates were each rolled onto their sides facing each other, and Noodle was rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Sorry, 2D, I hadn't meant to fall asleep, I just wanted to make sure you'd be okay when you woke up." Noodle focused her gaze on 2D with an expression of thoughtfulness and concern. "2D, how much do you remember from last night?"

2D bit his lip thoughtfully and glanced around the room. "Well this is the new house, we just arrived…" The moonlight bouncing off of Noodle's eyes triggered a memory which made 2D smile. "And we went dancing. There were lights, and music, and we were really happy." 2D grinned at his bandmate, who was cautiously grinning back up at him.

"Is that the last thing you remember?"

2D thought hard, taking his lip between his teeth again as he struggled to think through his lethargy. "I think so-" 2D's bite was a little too hard, and he felt a drop of blood forming under his remaining frontmost teeth. _Blood…_ 2D narrowed his eyes. There was something there, in his memory, just beyond his grasp, and it was linked to the taste in his mouth. 2D licked his lip gingerly, feeling a connection, then said the word out loud. "blood."

Noodle was watching him anxiously, but 2D hardly noticed as his mind slipped into another memory. "blood," he repeated with a faraway look in his eyes. His heartrate began to rise and his breathing quickened. "There was b-blood… On the w-walls… My name…" 2D felt panic as it began to flood his chest and his mind, threatening to overcome him. "There was blood, Noodle, bloo-"

2D felt a hand press gently against his mouth, cutting off his speech. His eyes refocused on the guitarist laying next to him, who was staring up at him with a strange calm in her eyes and whispering soothing words under her breath. "Hush, 2D. I know there was blood. Nothing can harm you right now, you're safe with me."

It would be hard not to calm down surrounded by Noodle's soothing yet strong voice, with the feeling of warmth and comfort wrapped around 2D and those steady eyes gazing right through him. The singer felt the turmoil in his mind die down and relaxed the muscles he hadn't realized were tense.

"Are you feeling better, 2D?"

"Yeah," 2D said. "W-what happened after I looked through the door?"

"You screamed," Noodle responded. "I tried to calm you down, but you weren't responding, so Murdoc took matters into his own hands. He knocked you out with an empty bottle of scotch."

"That explains my sore spot," 2D said, raising a hand to the spot on his head which was still throbbing lightly.

"I put a pill and a glass of water on your nightstand. You should take it now, or you'll probably feel worse in the morning."

2D smiled. "Thanks, love." He rolled over to his other side, spotting the aforementioned items on the nightstand, and quickly took his medicine and turned on the bedside lamp before turning back to Noodle. Now that they were bathed in the lamp's soft orange glow, the scene reminded 2D of the slumber parties they use to have in his room back when Noodle was still a small child. _Although back then we would be on the floor in sleeping bags. But a bed is cozier than a floor anyway, and we each have our own blankets, so it's pretty much the same thing, just better._ 2D recalled how they used to stay up late watching movies, playing videogames, or talking about whichever random subjects popped into their heads from the comfort of their sleeping bags. _I've missed this._

"Uh… Thanks for staying here with me. I probably would've panicked if I'd remembered last night alone."

"No problem, Stuart."

Noodle smiled up at him, and 2D felt a rush of warmth somewhere near his heart. He was genuinely touched that Noodle had decided to stick around and make sure that he was okay. Not that he would have expected anything else from her; she had always been there for him and he knew that he could always count on her. He smiled fondly at the guitarist, once again feeling overwhelmed but this time by something far more pleasant than panic. It was a happy sort of affectionate feeling that he didn't have the energy to put a name to. 2D perked up when an exciting thought crossed his mind.

"Hey, Noodle, When Murdoc saw all the scary stuff on the walls, did he change his mind about not moving?"

Noodle sighed. "I'm afraid not. He actually seemed excited by the writing."

"Oh. Did he understand the writing? Was it saying something nice?" 2D gazed at her hopefully, but became sad as Noodle shook her head.

"He understood it, but it wasn't saying very nice things."

There was sympathy in Noodle's eyes as 2D's face fell. 2D dropped his gaze to the sheets, his eyes dark and gloomy, before looking back up at his bandmate. "So what now?"

"Tomorrow, we're going to figure out what's going on with this house," Noodle replied, holding his gaze with an intensity that surprised him. "Russel and Murdoc probably won't join us, but we can do some research on our own. There's an old library a few blocks away; places like those usually have tomes on the histories of local locations. We'll start there, and see where it takes us. That is…" Noodle's intense gaze softened. "If you're feeling up to it. I know you've been through a lot lately, and I'll understand if you'd rather just find somewhere in town to relax, or even rent out a room in a hotel until I make sure that this place is safe for us."

"And leave my best friend to handle this place alone?" 2D looked soulfully into Noodle's eyes. However scared he may have been earlier, nothing could justify him leaving her side, especially at a time like this, and especially after all that they'd been through. "Of course I'll help!"

Noodle's smile of response made his heart feel light. "I'm glad you're feeling up to this," she said. 2D was caught by surprise when she shifted forward and hugged him, tucking her face into his shoulder and sending a warm shiver through his nerves. He didn't hesitate to return the gesture, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her against him and tucking his face into her soft hair.

2D's mind swirled with happiness, contentment, gratefulness, and affection as he felt Noodle's arms squeeze tightly around his chest, and her breath tickle the juncture between his neck and his shoulder. He smiled into her hair, letting the emotions wash over him, and trying to find the words to thank her properly for all she was doing to help him with this house, and for that matter, all that she had ever done for him. "Noodle…"

"Yes, 2D?" Noodle murmured next to his ear.

Words tumbled through 2D's mind, but he couldn't seem to match them properly to his feelings, and all of the meaning he wanted to express. After a few moments of intense thought, 2D sighed, vying for something simple that he hoped would portray at least a little of how grateful he was for her. "Thank you. Just… Thank you, for everything."

2D sighed as he felt Noodle smile against his neck. Someday, hopefully soon, he would figure out how to put all of the confused feelings within him into words, and then he could properly let Noodle know how much he appreciated her.

But for now, he was too tired to think about that. He would just have to wait for the day when he could tell her how he felt…

. . .

Noodle reached around 2D and turned off the lamp. As darkness settled over the room, she nestled closer to 2D, trying to transfer as much confidence and comfort as she could muster through their embrace. She was glad that he was gaining confidence, both towards the house and towards her. He seemed to be getting better at understanding and expressing his feelings, and something in his voice when he had thanked her just seconds ago had suggested that he was finally starting to realize that she would always be there for him, and that he didn't need to hold back when he needed a hug.

The guitarist grinned, nuzzling the soft fabric of 2D's shirt. Someday, hopefully soon, she would be able to show him that she intended to always be by his side, that she genuinely wanted to be close to him, as close as possible, that she…

Well…

 _Sigh._

She would just have to wait for the day…

. . .

 **Coming up next, morning comes and the duo prepare for a day of investigation! Will any interesting plot developments turn up in the Gorillaz's mailbox? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **By the way,** _ **Humility**_ **just came out, and I** _ **love**_ **it. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it now. 2D looks so happy in the video! Makes me wish I knew how to roller skate.**

 **Reviews are welcome! I'd like to thank GrrHatLet for the consistent reviews; it's extremely encouraging to get your feedback! See ya next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter 6: Irreplaceable**_

2D yawned sleepily. He could feel the morning sunlight passing through his eyelids, but rather than face the day, he squeezed his eyes shut in protest and curled himself around the warm lump of covers he had been spooning in his sleep. When an alarm began ringing from his bedside table, he moaned and buried his head under the blankets, attempting in vain to shield himself from the offending sound.

The blankets shifted on their own accord, and after a moment of bleary confusion, the singer remembered that he wasn't alone. He could feel Noodle's small frame twisting in his arms as she stretched her muscles. She broke free of his grasp, and 2D could sense her leaning over him before the alarm shut off and a voice whispered in his ear.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. You can't help me do research in your sleep."

Refusing to open his eyes, 2D moaned, "I don't wanna get up. Can't I sleep in for just another hour?"

Noodle sighed. "Well, I guess if you want me to do all of the research by myself, all alone, with no one to help me and keep me company-"

"Alright, alright!" 2D groaned as he cracked open his eyes and found Noodle staring down at him with a grin.

"Good. I'm going to run downstairs and start breakfast. You can meet me down there after you've taken a shower." Noodle hopped out of bed and skipped to the door, flashing 2D one last smile before leaving the room.

2D sat up, whimpering regretfully as the warm covers fell off his body. Looking down at himself, the singer realized that he was still wearing his clothes from the night before. _Yeah, I could really use a shower…_

. . .

Ten minutes later, 2D relaxed as hot water fell across his skin and steam filled the air. The singer closed his eyes so that he could forget about the sorry state of the grimy bathroom, the moldy greenish stains on the floor and the ragged gray tarp that passed as a temporary shower curtain until they could go shopping for a decent one. As he squeezed a pool of butterscotch-scented shampoo into his hand, he found himself thinking about the day to come. On one hand, he was excited. He would be spending most of the day with Noodle who, in 2D's opinion, was one of the most fun people in the world to spend time with. Stuart smiled as he rubbed the sweet-smelling shampoo into his hair.

On the other hand, they would be researching the house. 2D was afraid of what they might find out in the process. What if they went looking for secret rooms, and found where the monsters lived? What if the spirits got mad at them for being nosy, and tried to kill them?

 _Stay calm, stay calm,_ 2D chanted to himself as he felt his panic rising. He swept a soapy washcloth across his face, wishing that the cloth could wipe away his fear. _Noodle will be with me, and there's nothing that she can't handle. Besides, she's hunted demons before. She knows how to do this, and how to be careful. We'll all be fine._

Soon, 2D finished cleaning himself and shut the water off. He dried himself quickly, dressed in a pale pink T-shirt and jeans, and tousled his hair as he left the bathroom.

Approaching Russel's room, 2D stepped as lightly as he could so that the floorboards wouldn't creak and wake his sleeping bandmate. This was probably unnecessary since the rumble of Russel's loud snoring was echoing through the whole top floor of the house. _Sounds like Russ won't be joining us today._ 2D gazed sadly at Russel's door as he passed it by. _He always seems to be tired these days… I hope he's not sick or anything._

2D descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, where he was greeted by the tantalizing scent of frying eggs and toasted bread. 2D sniffed the air wantonly, only now realizing just how hungry he was, then turned his black eyes towards Noodle, who was attending to the sizzling eggs. She too had changed clothes and was now wearing a black-and-white striped T-shirt with jeans. She turned toward the singer with a smile. "The eggs will be ready soon. Could you go grab the mail while I finish this?"

"Sure thing, Noods," 2D replied.

In another minute, Noodle was sitting at the small, set table while 2D entered the room, shuffling through a handful of different-sized envelopes.

"This one's from our old landlord at Wobble street; she probably wants paid back for damages to the property. Here's one from a Billy Bobkins, I think he's that crazy fan who was always sending us letters at Wobble street. I wonder how he got our new address so quickly… This one's for you, it's from 'Motorcycles Incorporated.'"

"Ooh!" Noodle exclaimed, excited. "Let me see that!" As she accepted her mail and skimmed through it eagerly, 2D continued to sift through the remaining envelopes. A bill from their movers, A welcome letter from the local homeowner's association, A coupon for a Chinese takeout eatery…

The final item was a postcard. "Lincolnshire" was written in bold letters atop an image of an old cathedral-type building with tall spires. 2D flipped the card over to observe the sender.

"Cyborg's sent us a postcard," 2D told Noodle, who looked up from her reading with an expression of tense discomfort. 2D understood her feelings; Noodle and her replica had never had many normal interactions. In fact, they had only faced each other twice, and each time had concluded with some sort of violent or disturbing action. The first meeting had resembled a fight to the death, in which Noodle had battled fiercely with her unwanted replacement and ended up hitting the cyborg so hard that she had broken and deactivated. After that encounter, Murdoc had repaired his bodyguard in secret and ordered the cyborg to hide out of sight when the other band members were around. Little did he know, the Cyborg had taken to spying on real Noodle, and was coming to the conclusion that a second confrontation would be necessary to settle a score with her flesh and blood counterpart.

2D thought back to that day…

The four of them, Murdoc, Russel, Noodle, and himself, were lounging on the steps of their Wobble street home just days after they had all reunited. The sun was sinking into the horizon, casting shades of orange and gold into the sky. His bandmates laughed as 2D regaled them with the tale of how he had found a beach rave after thinking that he was stranded on a desert island. As the laughter died down, 2D became aware of the sound of footsteps coming from inside the house. "Did someone invite a friend over? I don't remember anyone else being here."

"Oh, it's probably just Noodle's cat," Murdoc replied disinterestedly.

"It can't be Katsu," Noodle said. "He's too small to make that sort of noise. He usually doesn't make a sound."

"Murdoc," Russel groaned," did you bring some girl home from the bar last night and forget about her?"

"No, I did not!" Murdoc claimed, but 2D noticed that the bassist's fingers were fidgeting, and he kept glancing nervously at the door as the steps grew louder and closer. "But I suppose I'll check anyway, just to make sure-"

Murdoc was about to stand when the door opened with a crash. Standing tall in the entryway was none other than the gun-toting Cyborg Noodle.

Real Noodle leaped to her feet instantly, her body tense and her arms raised in a fighting stance. Russel's eyes widened with surprise, and 2D let out a small squeak as he scooted away from the cyborg. Murdoc shot the cyborg an angry glare.

"Cyborg! I told you to stay in the attic!" Murdoc growled.

"I no longer take orders from you," the Cyborg replied in a tone which was simultaneously emotionless and menacing. Murdoc's eyes widened.

"Stop this rubbish!" Murdoc scolded with an edge of panic in his voice. "Cyborg Noodle, you-"

"I am not Cyborg Noodle anymore," The cyborg intoned. She raised her arms, and real Noodle's muscles tightened. 2D yelped as he accidentally scooted over the edge of the stair and fell off into the grass. He stood up just in time to see the Cyborg pull off her head.

He gasped as a shower of sparks burst out of the Cyborg's exposed neck. Real Noodle, motionless with shock, watched open mouthed as the Cyborg approached her and offered her the head.

The cyborg's voice could now be heard coming from somewhere within the sparking neck. "This is your image. It is not my own. I will not accept hand-me-downs anymore."

Real Noodle took the head slowly, and the Cyborg turned to face her former master. "I quit." The Cyborg paused as Murdoc's jaw dropped. He began to stutter out an angry reply, but the Cyborg cut him off. "I have deactivated my membership to Gorillaz and my loyalty to you. I tire of being a replica. Now, it is time for me to set out and create my own identity. You will not call me Cyborg Noodle anymore. Until I choose another name, I am Cyborg." Turning away from the fuming bassist, Cyborg descended the stairs.

Upon reaching the grass, she surprised the band again by turning sharply to face 2D, whose feet shuffled nervously. "2D. You are kind, and you will be my first friend. I will be staying in touch." Cyborg held out a hand.

His nerves subsiding slightly, 2D gingerly accepted Cyborg's hand and shook it. "Ummm… Okay. Have a nice life?"

Its headless neck still shooting sparks, Cyborg turned away and began to walk down the street, into the golden sunset. Suddenly, Murdoc recovered from his speechlessness and angrily shouted after his former slave, " _Hey!_ I am your _creator!_ You can't just make the dullard your friend and leave me with nothing! After all I've done for you, I expect some _repayment!"_

A hatch opened in Cyborg's back, out of which extended a small missile. "Repayment sequence initiating… Launching in ten seconds… Nine… Eight…"

Murdoc yelped and dove behind the doorway, shutting the door firmly behind him before any of his bandmates could follow. Fortunately, Cyborg ended the launch sequence when her target disappeared. The three remaining bandmates looked on as her silhouette faded into the horizon.

The door cracked open, and Murdoc nervously stuck his head outside. "Is she gone?"

"Yeah, and in case you're interested, the rest of us are safe, no thanks to you!" Russel shouted angrily. "What is it with you and letting your bandmates get blown up? You're sick, man! And were you ever planning to tell us that you'd reactivated a deadly robot with guns hidden in every body part?"

Murdoc rolled his eyes and strutted outside huffily. "Shut up, Russ, I'm going through enough without your yammering. I just lost my servant!"

As the drummer and the bassist argued over who had been wronged more in the past half-hour, Noodle stared uncomfortably down at the sparking head she held in her arms. It was like looking at a mirror, only much creepier, and her arms were starting to sting from the stray sparks which flew out of the dying wires. "Ummm… Murdoc? What do you want me to do with this?"

"I don't care what you do with it, she gave it to you! Satan forbid my creation and servant leave me with anything to remember her by! For all I care, you can hollow it out and plant a bloody tree inside of it! _I don't care!"_ With that said, Murdoc (who 2D suspected cared a little more than he was letting on) stormed back into the house.

Thus concluded the last time 2D, or any other member of Gorillaz, had seen Cyborg face-to-face. As promised, however, 2D received regular correspondence from his 'friend.' At first, 2D hadn't known what to make of Cyborg's continued association. After all, she hadn't exactly been good company on Plastic Beach; Murdoc had usually ordered her to act cruelly towards him. Soon enough though, 2D realized that Cyborg was a very amicable correspondent when not under the influence of Murdoc's orders, and he accepted that Cyborg was turning a new leaf.

Back in the kitchen at the Spirit House, 2D read the postcard aloud so that Noodle could hear:

"Dear 2D,

"I've settled down in Lincolnshire for now. The landlord of my apartment building has allowed me to stay for free as long as I stay in the basement and let the other residents use my Wi-Fi signal. I met a nice mechanic named Henry; he repairs me when I'm malfunctioning, and he promised to teach me how to ride a bike. He also helped me detach most of my weapons; It's still hard to get through metal detectors, but I'm usually allowed through after a quick examination nowadays. Jenny, my neighbor's five-year-old, made me a paper-mache head, but it caught on fire after I put it on. Henry's going to help her weld a new head for me. It will have detachable hair and adjustable shape so that I can change it until I find a look that I like. I think I want my eyes to be blue, like your hair.

"I trust that all is well on your end. Call the number below if Murdoc gives you any trouble.

"Sincerely,

"Cyborg.

"P.S. Henry has been calling me Cy. I kind of like it."

2D concluded his reading with a smile. "It seems like she's getting along well. I'm glad she's making some friends."

"Yeah, I guess…" Noodle said slowly. 2D noticed tense emotions flitting across her face. "I still think it's odd that after everything that happened on Plastic Beach, you two are friends. She's taken a very… _unnerving…_ interest in you. And it's a bit creepy that she wants her eyes to be the color of your hair." The way her face twitched when she said that, 2D almost thought she looked jealous.

Jealous?

Nah. Noodle doesn't get jealous. Especially not of her own replica. What would she be jealous of anyway?

But just to be sure that Noodle wouldn't worry…

"Cyborg seems to be getting close to this Henry bloke. I bet they're good buddies."

2D grinned as some of the tension left Noodle's shoulders. "Yeah. She might even change her mind and decide to look like him."

2D sat down at the table, and Noodle pushed a plate of eggs and toast towards him. "Eat up, we've got lots to do today. Before we hit the library, I want to stop at the motorcycle outlet. This letter says that my new motorcycle is ready, and I'm excited to take it out for a spin! I thought that we could take a cab up to the outlet, then ride the motorcycle to the Library."

"Sounds good," 2D said. He'd never ridden a motorcycle before (for some reason, no one trusted him with one), but it had always looked fun.

Just then, unsteady footsteps could be heard pounding down the hallway. Murdoc stumbled into the kitchen and plopped down at the table, cradling his head in his arms and groaning. He stole 2D's glass of orange juice, downed the whole thing, then slammed the glass onto the table.

"Good morning, Murdoc!" 2D said cheerfully.

"Shut up!" Murdoc replied, allowing his head to sag onto the table. The toaster pinged loudly, causing Murdoc to visibly cringe, and Noodle rose to put the fresh toast on a plate for the bassist.

As Noodle passed him his plate, she said, "I suppose you won't be joining 2D and I today?"

Murdoc grumbled in reply and lifted his head slightly so that he could take a piece of toast. Noodle rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you're feeling up to it later, it would be helpful if you could start translating the writing on the walls with a bit more detail. 2D and I will be at the library if you need us." Noodle stood up and turned to the singer. "Since we'll be taking the motorcycle, I would recommend you grab a windbreaker. I'm going to fetch my own jacket now."

"Okay, I suppose I'll get mine now too." 2D replied. The pair rose from the table and left Murdoc to finish his toast in peace. Noodle glanced one last time at Cyborg's postcard before they left the kitchen. As they made their way silently down the hall, 2D thought that Noodle appeared somewhat troubled. The tension he had noted when he announced Cyborg's postcard was returning to her shoulders, and judging by her unfocused gaze, she was engaged deeply in thought. They arrived at the bottom of the stairway and 2D was about to leave Noodle to fetch his jacket when the guitarist spoke.

"Hey, 2D…" 2D stopped and turned towards his bandmate curiously. Noodle paused briefly, as if not quite knowing how best to put her thoughts into words, then continued hesitantly. "I understand that Cyborg was not particularly… _polite_ to you, when you were on Plastic beach. But when I see how she's pursuing your friendship, I wonder, did anything… _happen…_ with you two while you were there?" Noodle met 2D's gaze with a hard-to-read expression.

2D tilted his head slightly, not entirely sure what Noodle meant. "Well, there was that time she almost impaled me with a swordfish. Also, I nearly blew us all up when I tripped over a bomb she'd left lying around in the recording studio. Oh, and she requested Murdoc's permission to put me down after I accidentally spilled Pepsi on her circuitboard. Murdoc laughed at that, but didn't let her-"

"No, 2D," Noodle interrupted, shaking her head. "I mean, did anything _positive_ happen between you two?" She cast him a serious look. 2D shuffled his feet under the sudden intensity of her stare.

He thought back to each of his encounters with Cyborg, each meal served with a cruel sneer, being walked between rooms at gunpoint… None of it struck 2D as positive. "Not that I can think of," he told Noodle.

Noodle nodded tensely, her eyes flickering between his own as if searching for some deep truth or emotion within them. 2D scratched the back of his neck nervously, feeling as if he were being investigated. When he ducked his head sheepishly, Noodle realized that she was making him uncomfortable. She turned towards the basement and said, "Okay, 2D. I'm sorry for making you think about that time; I know it's still hard for you."

"It's no trouble, love," 2D responded as he watched Noodle advance towards the basement door. _She still looks down about something… What is it about Cyborg that's making her so uncomfortable?_ Just then, something clicked in 2D's mind. The guitarist was reaching for the handle of the basement door when 2D called, "Hey, Noodle!"

"Yes?" Noodle responded, turning to face the singer.

2D approached Noodle and stood in front of her, shuffling his feet timidly. "You know you're my best friend, right? Cyborg's my friend too now, but she's not my best friend. You… You're special." Overcome by a wave of awkwardness, 2D looked down at his toes, staring at them for a good five seconds before glancing back up at his friend. His heart leaped when he saw that she was smiling, her gaze significantly brighter than it had been moments ago. He held his arms out, offering her a hug.

Noodle smiled wider and walked into the hug, closing her arms tightly around 2D's waist. "Thank you, Toochie. That means a lot to me. And you're my best friend too."

2D felt a grin spread across his own face. "You never need to worry about me replacing you, love. You're irreplaceable."

They stood in each other's arms for a few moments before breaking apart. 2D looked down at the guitarist. It might have just been the odd lighting of the room, but her cheeks seemed slightly pink. _Is she blushing? Come to think of it, my cheeks feel a little warm…_

Noodle backed away towards the basement, still smiling. "Go grab your jacket; I'll meet you at the door in a minute and then we can go, Okay?"

2D nodded in consent as she slipped away into the basement. The singer then hopped up the stairs. There was a skip in his step as he set off to find his jacket.

. . .

 **Coming up next, 2D and Noodle do some research! Where will their inquiries lead them, and what will they discover?**

 **I had a bit of fun coming up with Cyborg's story. I might even be tempted to write a story just for her someday. Each interview seemed to have a different explanation of what happened to the cyborg, ranging from her being destroyed and beheaded to riding bikes in Lincolnshire. I thought this seemed like a reasonable compromise.**

 **By the way, I thought of this joke a while ago: When did 2D choose his outfit for the Strobelite video? When he was high and wasted! Ya gettit? High… waisted? Heh heh…**

 **Anyway, see ya next chapter! It'll be a long one!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: see chapter 1**

 _ **Chapter 7: Thrills and Chills**_

 **(To help you visualize this chapter: Noodle's new motorcycle resembles the one she is seen riding in the Garage Palace music video.)**

. . .

As they pulled up to Buster's Motorcycle Outlet, Noodle leaned towards the cab's tinted window until the tip of her nose touched the cool glass. She beamed when she saw a truck labeled Motorcycles, Inc. unloading a row of gleaming bikes onto the concrete. As soon as the cab stopped, she was out the door, pausing only briefly to pass a few bills to the driver before running towards the shining machinery. Noodle was dimly aware of the sound of the cab door shutting as 2D stepped out after her but paid him little mind as the wind in her ears swept the sound away.

She saw a man wearing a Buster's Motorcycle Outlet T-shirt overseeing the unloading of the new vehicles and adjusted her course to meet him. The man's eyes widened, perhaps alarmed at the sight of this woman barreling towards him at top speed, and he flinched as she leaped to cover the remaining distance between them. The guitarist landed elegantly on her toes two feet in front of the man, coming to an instant stop.

"My name is Noodle, and I believe my motorcycle arrived with this shipment." She said with a sweet smile.

The man nodded, relaxing visibly. "Ah, yes, Noodle. We have your motorcycle in the truck, my boys are unloading it now. I'm Buster, by the way, Buster Bleu, owner of this dealership." The man held out his hand with a grin. Noodle took the outstretched hand firmly and shook it with energy. "I'm sure you'll be pleased with the quality of your new vehicle; Motorcycles Incorporated always delivers fine products. Yours, I believe, way the jet-black and army green cycle with turbo boosters?"

"That's right."

"Ah, here it is now." Buster said, watching as his employees led the cycle off the truck. He waved them over, and they brought the motorcycle towards them, setting it before Buster and Noodle for them to admire.

Gazing at her new ride with satisfaction, Noodle reached out to stroke a polished handlebar. The paint glinted in the morning sunlight. The guitarist sniffed the air; her nose was filled with the rubbery, intoxicating scent of fresh tires. Her eyes caught her own reflection in the gleaming, silvery metal of the bike's boosters; she extended her fingers to brush them lightly against the cool surface.

Meanwhile, Buster instructed his employees: "Bruce, I want you to run to my office and grab Miss Noodle's paperwork. Lenny, in our storage room you'll find the new helmet Miss Noodle ordered." Bruce and Lenny nodded and made for the building on the far end of the lot.

As Noodle crouched to examine her new bike's engine, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind and sensed 2D's tall figure standing over her. His arm brushed against her hair as he reached forward to touch the bike's paint.

"Wow," he said breathily. "This is cool."

"Yeah," Noodle replied, her heart filling with pride. "It's supposed to go from zero to one hundred in seven seconds flat and handle high-speed turns without jerking or slipping…" A sad thought crossed the guitarist's mind. Noodle's face sunk into an involuntary frown as she felt her spirits plummet, sinking until they settled like stones somewhere low in her chest. Noodle sighed morosely. "Not that we'll be able to drive that fast on most roads around here. We'd have to go somewhere deserted, maybe in the country, and I don't have time for that sort of trip right now. We'll be too busy finishing up our album for the next couple of weeks, and then we'll be touring-"

"You know," Buster interrupted, "There's an abandoned race track further downtown, just five miles down Derrings Road. Lots of parents take their kids there to teach them how to drive, but it'll be empty now, since everyone's either in school or at work. You might come across some hooligans with skateboards, but other than that, it should be clear."

Noodle graced the man with a radiant smile as she felt excitement kindling once more within her. "That sounds perfect!" She turned to 2D. "What do you say to a quick stop at the tracks before we hit the library?" She gave him her best puppy dog eyes and nearly jumped for joy when the singer smiled and nodded.

"Whatever makes you happy, love."

Noodle gave 2D a quick, tight hug around the waist before turning to face an approaching figure.

"I've got your helmet, miss," Bruce said as he offered the object to the guitarist. She took it gleefully, and ran a hand over the shining black surface. She could see her face reflected in the visor, as well as 2D's face looking down from over her shoulder…

"Oh, 2D! We need to get a helmet for you!" She exclaimed.

2D ran a hand through his uncovered blue spikes, then brought the hand down to feel his damaged skull, courtesy of various automobile accidents. "Yeah, I guess we do."

"We've got some helmets in the shop, you can look through them if you like," Buster chipped in. "Larry ought to have found your papers by now as well; you can fill them out while your friend picks a helmet."

"Sounds great!" Noodle replied.

. . .

Fifteen minutes later, Noodle hopped excitedly onto her motorcycle. Turning towards 2D, she patted the seat behind her. "Hop on!"

"Alright," 2D said, obeying her command. As Noodle secured her helmet onto her head, she felt 2D's legs drop onto either side of her, his jeans sliding roughly against her skin. She heard him putting on his own helmet (a bright magenta shell which clashed beautifully with his hair) as she dropped her visor and ignited the engine. Holding her breaks, she held the throttle and savored the roar of the revving machinery.

"Are you ready, Toochie?"

"Ready."

Noodle rolled her eyes. "You know you need to hold on?"

"To what?"

"To me."

"Oh. Right."

Noodle felt the singer place his hands gingerly on either side of her waist. A devilish grin crossed her face. _You'll need to hold on tighter than that._ Noodle released the breaks and, not bothering to accelerate gradually, shot out of the lot.

A yelp sounded by her left ear; he was now wrapped tightly around her, his arms closed around her waist, fingers digging into her sides through her leather jacket, chest pressed against her back, and chin tucked over her shoulder. Noodle reveled in the feeling of the wind whipping past her, 2D's heat pressed against her, her skin tingling with excitement. However, she forced herself to slow down as the duo joined a line of vehicles coming to a stop at a traffic light.

The next ten minutes were spent crawling forward with traffic, stopping and starting and stopping again. The grip around Noodle's waist slackened as 2D shifted into a more comfortable position. Noodle stared dully at the beat-up truck in front of her, then craned her neck to try for a glimpse at the upcoming exits. Her eyes were drawn to large green sign hanging over the road:

DERRINGS ROAD. TAKE NEXT EXIT.

Noodle perked up immediately. "We're almost there, Toochie."

"Mmhmm," she heard as her companion's grip regained some of its former tightness, his fingers clenching on either side of her as his arms constricted over her stomach. Meter by meter, the motorcycle crept towards the exit. Noodle gazed irately at the stretch of cars in front of her, glancing frequently towards the run of cracked asphalt which turned sharply away from the road and dove into a thick patch of woods. _Come on… Only twenty meters left…_ Suddenly overcome with excitement, Noodle hit the gas, mounting the shoulder of the road to close the remaining distance between her and her exit. She grinned as she accelerated into the woods, feeling 2D's thighs squeeze tightly around her and his body cling to hers like a second coat. She leaned forward, bringing the singer's body forward with her and slightly on top of her. Trees cast them into shadow; the road narrowed, and the overgrown foliage reached out to brush against her shoulders and her helmet. _It's a good thing both 2D and I have visors,_ Noodle thought as they passed under a mass of overhanging tree branches dripping with thorny vines. _This road obviously isn't used often._

A light could be seen shining ahead. It grew closer and closer, larger and larger until the duo were flying out of the woods. In the center of a broad field sat a large racetrack. A few bits of tall chain-link fence surrounded the structure, but most of the fence was either broken or collapsed. An imposing concrete slab rose out of the ground; the phrase DERRINGS RACETRACK was carved into its surface. This sign was also adorned with copious amounts of graffiti. In fact, two teenagers were currently standing before the wall, spraying their initials inside of a neon-green heart. The teens turned in surprise as the motorcycle shot past them like a bullet.

Noodle slowed down, coming to a stop at a faded line of white paint which must have, at some point, marked the beginning of the large oval racetrack. Four teenage skateboarders were eyeing the helmeted bandmates warily. Noodle revved her engine loudly, and the teens hastily removed their boards from the track.

"Ummm… Do you want me to get off now?" 2D stuttered, his grip slackening. "You'll probably want to try out a bunch of stunts and speeds and stuff-"

"Hold on, 2D"

And they were off.

2D let out a short scream before pressing his body once more to hers, squeezing her in his grip. Noodle watched the speedometer as it climbed rapidly, passing the highway speed limit, nearly doubling the highway speed limit, the needle reaching as far as it would go. Adrenaline coursed through her. She could hear the wind screaming around her helmet and slicing past her legs as they shot down the track like a rocket.

As they approached the first turn, Noodle leaned forward, concentrating. She tilted her handlebars incrementally and the bike leaned into the turn. Intense G-forces pressed her insides together so that she could barely breathe- or maybe that was 2D's arms, constricting around her waist like a python- and she completed the turn, the bike beginning to accelerate once more.

Caught up in the moment, excitement flooding through her veins, Noodle howled with glee, her teeth bared in a crazed smile. To her pleasure, she heard 2D's howls join her own, his fear abandoned in the surge of adrenaline and excitement. _Forget clubs, this is the most fun we've had in months!_

They rounded the track three more times, testing the bike's speed and acceleration while screaming like children on a rollercoaster. 2D's hold on her, while still tight, no longer felt like that of a drowning man desperately clinging to a life raft. Noodle could feel him leaning into her, pushing his face into the wind and willing the bike to go faster. She could feel the energy and excitement coursing through both of them and hear their boisterous shouts pierce the air before being quickly swept away by the rushing wind.

Partway through their fifth lap around, Noodle pulled a wheelie. She could feel 2D's chest shake as he laughed loudly with sheer joy, adjusting his grip to better mold his body to hers. The teens were cheering them on; both the skateboarders and the graffiti painters clapped and whooped whenever 2D and Noodle passed them by.

Eventually, Noodle's fingers and toes began to feel slightly numb, and she reluctantly slowed down, bringing the bike to a stop before the white line on the racetrack. Both 2D and Noodle were panting heavily as they climbed off of the bike. Noodle's feet hit the ground; it felt strange after the- half hour? Hour?- of sitting and basically flying across the track on her motorcycle. 2D must have been feeling similarly strange; he nearly tripped and had to grab onto Noodle's shoulder for support. They both removed their helmets, setting them on the ground beside them. Noodle grinned up at 2D, who was returning her smile in full.

"That was great!" 2D exclaimed, now holding both of her shoulders. "I've got to get one of these! And then you could teach me how to ride it! And then we could race and do tricks and stuff!"

Noodle laughed with his enthusiasm, still caught in the high of the ride. On a whim, she tilted her head up and, very briefly, kissed 2D's chin.

Pulling her face away from his, Noodle saw that 2D's cheeks had turned slightly pink. She raved inwardly about how adorable he looked with that smile, how cute his eyes were as they shined white with glee, how hot his mussed helmet-hair was…

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Noodle gazed towards the racetrack, her eyes passing over the teens before doing a quick double take. _Is that graffiti-painting couple giggling at us?_ She rolled her eyes, then raised them back to meet 2D's gaze. He was still smiling, but his smile was calmer now. Almost tender. Noodle could barely hold back a sigh.

"I guess we should head to the library now," Noodle said.

2D nodded dumbly, opening his mouth but seeming to have trouble forming any words. "Um… ah… yeah. I guess so. Whenever you're ready, love."

. . .

They arrived at the Library at around noon, laughing as Noodle performed a quick doughnut in the almost-empty parking lot before parking the bike. They strolled shoulder to shoulder towards the old brick structure, passing by a well-kept flowerbed before opening the windowed doors and entering the establishment.

The roaring of the nearby highway disappeared as the door closed behind them, leaving only the sounds muffled footsteps on worn carpet, book pages turning, and the occasional clicking computer keyboard or mouse to fill their ears.

2D hardly heard any of this noise; his ears were still ringing with the roar of the motorcycle's engine, and his head was swimming with the bliss of his and Noodle's time at the racetrack. He smiled as he recalled the feeling of the wind, the speed, their excited howls and laughs, his bandmate in his arms, Noodle's sparkling eyes as she pulled off her helmet, her lips on his chin…

"Can I help you two young folks?"

2D blinked, snapping out of his thoughts to find a small, grandmotherly-looking woman smiling up at Noodle and him.

"We're looking for information on our new house," Noodle told the woman. "It seems like the type of place that would have an interesting past, maybe even a history of hauntings."

"Hauntings? Well, you young people certainly are getting imaginative these days." The woman chuckled to herself, shaking her head. "We do have a local history section. It's in the row nearest to the far wall; turn left and go all the way down."

"Thank you, mam." Noodle replied.

"You kids have fun!" The old librarian called as 2D followed Noodle to the far end of the building.

Reaching the last row of books, the pair walked down the aisle, observing tomes on the history of various areas of the world before reaching a shelf which bore a placard labeled LOCAL HISTORY. 2D observed the dusty tomes, watching a small spider scurry across the top of a particularly ancient looking one before squeezing itself between the pages. _It dosen't look like these get read very often,_ 2D thought as he squinted to read the title on the book's worn spine: " _A Complete Collection of Census Reports, Region D, 1855-1905."_ On either side of that tome, 2D observed books labeled _"Population growth, 1890-1940"_ and _"Businesses Registered in Region D, 1885-1835."_ 2D sighed. _These books don't look very interesting._

"This one looks promising," Noodle said, pulling a slightly newer looking book from the shelf below that which 2D had been staring at. The singer turned towards Noodle and observed the cover of her find. It was labeled " _Notable Sites and Buildings: a Historic Compilation authorized by your Local City Department."_ Below the title was an image of a tall brick building with a clocktower.

"Is our house notable?" 2D asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Noodle replied, making her way to a table at the end of the row of shelves, tucked into the corner of the library.

Noodle dropped into one of the metal fold-chairs at the table; 2D took another and scooted closer to her. He watched as Noodle opened the book, and was slightly disappointed when, instead of going straight to the pages with the most pictures, she turned to the chapter index and began tracing her eyes across the tiny black lettering.

"Let's see… City government buildings, parks, businesses, historic sights… ah, here we go! Haunted sites!" Noodle skimmed through the listing for that chapter. "The Andrews Family Graveyard… Butcher's valley… the Downtown Clocktower…" Noodle continued running through the list of sights, frowning more and more as she went on.

2D frowned as well. _None of these names sound like they have anything to do with our place._

Just then, Noodle paused. 2D looked at her face and noticed that she was squinting at one of the titles, looking confused. "Saturnz Barz?" She sounded out slowly. "That's an odd name. I wonder what sort of place that could be?"

"Can we look at it?" 2D asked curiously. "It sounds kinda cool."

"Well, we've got nothing else to go on." Said Noodle. "Hmmm… page 134…"

As she flipped through the pages, 2D smiled with excitement at the pictures flashing by. _Some of these places look like they could be in an old western movie._ As Noodle flipped closer to the page they were looking for, they entered the haunted chapter and the buildings began to look creepier. _Ooh! I could imagine a zombie movie using that foggy field! Or a Halloween thriller in that old clocktower!_

When they reached page 134, 2D's breath caught in his throat.

It was their house.

Noodle grinned. "Well, it looks like we picked up the right book. 'Saturnz Barz- the Spirit House. Legend has it that in the 1840's, worshippers of evil entities performed a ritual which opened a portal to the other side on this property. Those people were never seen again. Reports of malevolent beings and ghostly activity are occasionally reported by neighbors and passers by, but few residents have lived in the house long enough to investigate the site. The most recent resident, Mrs. Charlene Germaine, raved that she had observed firsthand the beings which inhabited the home and learned their secrets. Her doctors then decided that she suffered from anxiety and prescribed her strong medicine, telling her to move to a new house and refrain from stepping outdoors. Neighbors agreed that Germaine was a "crazy, deluded" woman. The house is currently owned by Greenfield Realtors, who claim that the site's only curse is how hard it is to sell.'" Noodle looked up at 2D. "Well, it looks like we're not the only ones who suspect this place is haunted. It's too bad that the writers of this book didn't include an interview Mrs. Germaine; it would've made our research a lot easier."

"Y-yeah…" 2D stuttered. He was staring down at the phrase "malevolent beings," which didn't sound very good. Hearing a light tapping noise, the singer looked up to find Noodle typing something on her phone. "W-whatcha doin', love?"

"Looking up Charlene Germaine," Noodle responded. "Hmmm… there are a couple of Charlene Germaines… But there's only one in this area." She focused on her phone screen, squinting as she continued to type and click. Suddenly, her face burst into a smile. "Yes! I've found her address!"

"H-her… a-address?" 2D repeated nervously.

"Yes, Toochie, her address. Mrs. Germaine's information is listed on the Medical Support Services for the Elderly and Addled's patient page. She seems to be the expert on this topic, so we ought to visit her."

2D's eyes went wide. "But d-doesn't the book say she's c-crazy?"

"We're all a little crazy," Noodle responded with a grin. "But I think Mrs. Germaine is less crazy than the book would have us believe." Noodle stood up and held her hand out to 2D. "Ready to go?"

2D took her hand slowly and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "I- yeah, I'm ready."

Noodle's face softened slightly. 2D could almost feel her analyzing gaze taking in his distress, somehow getting inside his mind and figuring out exactly how nervous he was. Face heating, the singer broke eye contact, pretending to be interested in the census reports on the bookshelf.

Apparently, however, he was fooling nobody. 2D jumped slightly when a small finger tapped his nose. "2D?" he looked back into Noodle's concerned eyes. "Are you still up for this?"

2D felt her small hand wrap around his wrist. It was gentle, but strong, and very steady. Her warm palm soothed the cool skin of his arm. He liked the warm feeling. It almost felt like Noodle was letting him borrow some of her strength, some of her bravery. The singer smiled. "Yeah, love. I'm with you all the way through this."

. . .

The motorcycle pulled up to the curb in front of a small, eclectic-looking house. It took a few moments for 2D to take in the overgrown lawn and wild flowerbeds, the tiny porch littered with boots and bottles, the eaves lined with an array of windchimes which jangled discordantly in the wind, and the off-white paint chipping off ancient siding. He climbed warily off of the bike and pulled the helmet off his head as his bandmate did likewise.

The pair approached the front door slowly. 2D glanced distrustfully at the warped wooden steps which led up to the porch, pausing for a moment before he felt Noodle's hand take his own. He allowed the guitarist to lead him up the short stairway and to the door.

As Noodle stretched her finger towards the doorbell, 2D flinched, recalling the loud cry of their own doorbell. Noodle pressed the button. When it only let out a short buzzing noise, 2D sighed with relief.

"JANICE, I TOLD YOU TO STOP VISITING!" 2D jumped as a bullish, elderly woman's voice rent the air. Pounding footsteps sounded closer and closer to the entryway, and 2D stepped behind Noodle. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU POMPOUS HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION GOONS THINK! I'M NOT CLEANING MY HOUSE, I'M NOT MOWING THE LAWN, AND I'M NOT PAYING YOUR STUPID FINES!"

The door slammed open, and 2D found himself quivering under the stare of a diminutive hunchbacked woman waving a wooden cane. The woman froze as she saw her frontmost visitor, quickly taking in Noodle with piercing icy-blue eyes. The next thing 2D knew, the woman's angry scowl was gone, replaced by a quaint grandmotherly smile. "Oh, I'm sorry dears; I thought you were someone else! What can I do for you two-" her gaze passed over Noodle and her eyes locked with 2D's black spheres. Suddenly, the woman's face crossed back into scary mode. "DEMON BOY!" Teeth bared, the woman raised her cane once more, causing 2D to yelp and raise his arms protectively in front of his face. Noodle's hand flashed out and grabbed the end of the cane before it could strike 2D's head.

"Wait, miss! He's not a demon, he just looks odd!" Noodle hastily told the woman.

2D peeked out from between his fingers to watch the woman look over him once more, critically examining his face. She closed her eyes for a moment and tilted her head, as if listening to the song of the windchimes. Then, she smiled. "Sorry, young man. Those eyes did give me a bit of a fright. And who might you folks be?"

"My name is Noodle, and this is 2D," Noodle replied. "Are you Charlene Germaine?"

"Yes, that's me." Charlene responded.

"We were hoping to ask you some questions about a house you used to live in," Noodle continued. 2D nodded in assent, still hiding partially behind his bandmate.

"Hmm… you wouldn't happen to mean the Saturnz Barz house, would you?"

"We do," Noodle confirmed. "You see, we just moved into it yesterday, and we've had some… otherworldly experiences. They're starting to worry us, and we thought you could help us shed some light on what's going on,"

"Otherworldly experiences…" The woman frowned, then glanced down the street in either direction before looking back at her visitors. "Would you two like to come in? We can talk about your situation without and fear of interruption."

"That would be lovely, thank you," Noodle said with a smile, following as Charlene backed into her home.

2D, however, lingered by the door. "Maybe you guys should talk, and I'll stay out here and make sure the bike's safe, and no one interru-" 2D was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling. He winced, placing a hand over his stomach. _I'm hungry. We should've stopped for lunch before coming over-_

"Are you hungry, young man?" Charlene asked with a sympathetic smile. "I've got a pot of warm stew sitting on the stove, and a tray of cookies just about ready to come out of the oven."

. . .

Two minutes later, the three of them were sitting in worn, yet soft, old-fashioned chairs, warm bowls of stew on their laps, a tray of chocolate-chip cookies set on a table between them.

As 2D downed a spoonful of savory beef stew with relish, Charlene related the tale of her time at Saturnz Barz. "I must say, I hadn't been expecting anyone to report any more trouble from that house. I thought the problem had been taken care of.

"Twenty years ago, after my husband passed away, I decided it was time for a change of pace. I discovered the Saturnz Barz house, saw that it was selling cheap, and jumped at the opportunity. I thought that I was awfully lucky to snag such a reasonably priced property. Until the first night…

"I woke up at around 1 a.m., wanting a drink of water. This sort of thing happened often; I always left a glass sitting on the bedside table. But when I tried to lift my arm, I found that I couldn't. I looked down, and saw a giant worm-like spirit tying me down to the bed! I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by a loud, dark laugh. Next thing I knew the bed had been lifted into the air. I could see hands, many hands, clutching at the sides of the bed and lifting it up, and I could hear some creature laughing. The bed was taken around the house, thrown from room by the creature. Then, after a few minutes, it stopped. The creatures just disappeared.

"When I woke up the next day, I convinced myself that it must have been a dream. But then, things kept happening. I would find strange writing on the walls. Animals would act strangely, almost as if they were possessed. And the creatures would come back. Sometimes at night, sometimes during the day. They would often alter the house itself, causing it to shift and distort. Sometimes, it seemed to fly as if it were in space.

"The same two spirits always returned, the worm and the creature with many arms. But sometimes, there would be others. More than once, I witnessed the ghosts of the original owners of the house reenacting their last few days of life. That's how I learned about the demon-worshipers who opened the portal to the other side. And there was another force. At first, I would only be dimly aware of its presence, as if it would wake up briefly when the other two spirits were around. But, over time, I could feel it growing stronger. I began to get the feeling that this spirit was much more powerful than the other two, and that they were merely servants of the big spirit. I was scared. Nobody who I tried to tell about the house would take me seriously, except for other locals who had experienced the house's horrors firsthand, and they wanted nothing to do with the house or with me. I was on my own, and I was scared." The woman paused to take a few spoonfuls of soup. 2D stared at her, spooning his soup quickly as if she were a movie and he were eating popcorn.

Noodle then chipped in, "We've met the two spirits you mentioned, the worm and the many-handed one. But we haven't seen ghost people, nor have we sensed any larger spirit yet."

2D shivered, remembering that this was a real problem, not just a scary movie.

Charlene shook her head glumly. "That's not good. I thought I'd gotten rid of those spirits once and for all. When I was finally fed up with the spirits, I decided that I couldn't just leave the house and let the big spirit keep doing whatever it was doing. I couldn't read the writing it left on the walls, but I could sense that it was planning something bad. So I began to research ghosts and spirits, I called mediums and ghost whisperers, I searched through ancient witch-doctor texts on how to protect oneself from and eradicate harmful spirits. I tried many things, but the spirits merely laughed at my efforts and became more violent. Finally, I overheard one of the ghost people whispering about the text he had used to find the ritual for opening the portal. I recognized the title from an old tome in the house's attic. I had never been able to read the book; it was written in the same language as the writing on the walls. I think only demon-worshipers possess the ability to translate it. However, I was able to read the name of the book's author, an old witch Doctor named Andri Meada. I combed through old libraries to find other works of hers and, after a month of searching, found a text, written in English, in which she documented a cure for powerful spirits and their helpers.

"Following Andri's instructions, I concocted a powdery medicine which, when inhaled by the spirits, drained their powers and caused them to be sucked back to the other side. I threw it upon the two spirits, and as they were being drawn away, I followed them back to their portal. It was an old piano, tucked into the basement of the house. As the spirits were sucked away, the keys began to glow. I saw the ghosts of the demon worshipers playing the piano, using it to summon the big demon from its slumber. I threw the last of my powder upon the piano; it sunk between the keys, and the spirits were all sucked into the piano. Then, the piano vanished.

"Days passed, then weeks, and I saw no sign of the spirits afterward." Charlene sighed. "However, the damage had been done to my reputation, and my doctors press-ganged me into moving here.

"I've continued to study Andri's book, and I've taken many of her tips for keeping bad spirits away, including inviting friendly plant spirits to my lawn, and hanging enchanted wind chimes which warn one when danger is near. I also learned why the spirit's power was increasing. Apparently, after passing through to this side, the spirits had to gradually draw energy from the portal until the big spirit was strong enough to take on it's full form of power and carry out its dark plans."

Noodle frowned, looking down at her bowl of soup. "It's good to know that there's a cure for our spirit problem. But… If you sent the spirits away then, why are they back now?"

Charlene cast Noodle and 2D a suspicious glance. "I don't suppose one of you two were foolish enough to reopen the portal?"

2D hastily shook his head. Noodle replied, "No, none of us did it. Admittedly, we did bring a demon worshiper to the house with us, our friend Murdoc. However, we'd just arrived at the house when the spirit problem started. Murdoc wouldn't have had time to curse our house just yet. We've never even seen the piano your talking about."

2D watched Noodle and Charlene as they pondered how the old portal may have reopened. The singer was also thinking about the ghost piano. _As scared as I am of the spirits and the house, I kinda think the whole enchanted piano thing is cool. It's kinda like Murdoc's special base guitar, except as a piano. I wonder If I would sound super cool playing it. Not that I would play it… But it still sounds cool._ 2D leaned back in his chair, daydreaming about his enchanted piano. _And we could get Noodle an enchanted guitar, and Russel an enchanted drum set. Wait, does Russel already have an enchanted drum set? I mean, that ghost rapper, Del, kept popping up around him._ 2D narrowed his eyes, feeling confused. _But I thought he switched drum sets a few times before Del disappeared. Shouldn't Del have disappeared earlier then?_ 2D continued thinking over his questions, but only grew more confused. Shaking his head, 2D finally gave into his confusion and decided to turn his question to Noodle. "Hey Noodle, does Russel have an enchanted drum set?"

Noodle raised an eyebrow, looking at 2D quizzically. "No. Not that I know of, anyway."

"Then where did Del come from?" 2D asked.

"Del came from…" Noodle's eyes suddenly widened. "Russel! Russel was Del's portal!" Noodle smiled at 2D. "2D, you're a genius! These spirits are sucking the energy out of Russel. That would explain why he's been so tired lately; he's being drained by the spirit house!"

Charlene nodded. "That makes sense. Andri did mention that most spirits aren't bound to a single portal. They've probably been hanging around the Spirit House, waiting for a new portal to appear." Relaxing slightly, Charlene reached for a cookie, took a bite, then continued, "That could also explaine why you haven't sensed the big spirit yet. That one is linked to the piano, and requires the piano's call to awake."

Noodle grinned wider. "So as long as we don't play the piano, we're not in danger from the big spirit! This is very good news, especially since no one can even find the piano!"

"Yes, it appears we don't have too much to worry about. I'll whip up some more of that powder; I can have it finished by midnight and you can pick it up tomorrow morning. You can douse the two spirits and give your friend, Russel, small doses to interrupt his portal. As long as he takes it regularly, your spirits should be gone in no time."

Noodle stood up and 2D followed suite, grabbing a few cookies as he did so. Noodle shook Charlene's hand. "Thank you so much for the help. It'll be so much easier to focus on our music once those spirits are gone, and 2D will be able to sleep much easier."

"No problem, dears," Charlene responded. "We'll have your house right as rain soon enough."

Noodle turned back to 2D with eager eyes. "Let's go tell the others the good news."

2D smiled back at her, happy that their ghostly troubles were nearing an end.

. . .

 **Coming up next: Nothing scary, hopefully. They finally have a plan to solve their problem. Nothing could possibly go wrong! Right?**

 **Thanks again to all of my reviewers! You guys keep me going!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Things Go Wrong**_

 **Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

It was late afternoon when Noodle and 2D arrived back at the Spirit House. Removing his helmet, the singer closed his eyes, sighing as a light breeze ruffled his hair. He stood there for a few moments, ignoring the ghost-ridden house which loomed ominously over him until he felt a warm hand settle on his shoulder.

"2D?"

"Yes, love?" The singer replied, glancing down at the guitarist.

"We should only have to be in the house for a minute," Noodle told him, holding his gaze steadily. "We'll convince Murdoc and Russel to get out for the rest of the day and meet us at a hotel tonight. They need to understand how important it is that they don't return to the house until tomorrow, after we pick up Charlene's special powder."

2D frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over him. "Noodle… Wh-what if the spirits got s-stronger while we were gone? What if the powder comes too late?"

Noodle stroked his arm in a comforting manner. "The house looks calm from out here. I'm sure everything's fine inside."

2D wanted to believe her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. _Come on, 2D,_ the singer thought. _Noodle's the smartest person I know. If she says everything's fine, then it must be true._ He offered Noodle a small smile, which she returned.

Noodle slid her hand down the singer's arm and entwined her fingers with his, which made 2D smile wider. Hand in hand, they approached the house. "After we convince Murdoc and Russel to leave, I'm going to go to the local gym. It's been too long since my last workout," Noodle said. "If you don't want to spend the rest of the day wandering around town, you could try the cinema. I hear they've put a new zombie movie out."

"Yeah, Zombie Dinosaur Invasion III," 2D replied, a dreamy look in his eyes. "Maybe Russel and Murdoc will want to see it with me."

"Good idea. Then you could all watch each other and make sure no one gets into any trouble."

When the duo entered the old house, 2D frowned at the atmosphere of gloom and decay, missing the sensation of warm sun on his back. _Keep it together… We'll only be here for a minute…_

"Murdoc! Russel!" Noodle greeted as she and 2D found their bandmates lounging in front of the television. Murdoc winced slightly and looked irritated but seemed to have overcome the worst stage of his hangover. Russel, whose head had been drooping, blinked up at them sleepily, and returned the greeting. "Hey, baby girl, 'D. You guys have a good time in town?"

"Yes, and we made some important discoveries," Noodle informed. "We met the woman who lived in this house twenty years ago, Charlene Germaine, and she told us how to get rid of our spirit problem. But we have to stay out of the house tonight so that things don't get worse before we can fix them."

"One night out of the house is going to solve our problems?" Murdoc growled doubtfully.

"Not exactly. But tomorrow morning, I'm going to pick up some special powder from Charlene which will send the spirits back to the other side. Russel, you'll need to take some of the powder too. We suspect that the spirits have been using you as a portal and stealing your energy."

"Hmm," Russel nodded thoughtfully. "That explains how tired I am. But is it really necessary to leave the house tonight? I mean, one more night couldn't do too much harm, could it? I'm not feeling up for travelling right now."

"Er… Russ," 2D chipped in nervously, "The lady said that there was a bigger spirit that might come out if it gets enough energy. I… I don't want it to come out…"

"2D's right, Russel," Noodle affirmed. "We all need to get out of here, especially you, because the longer you're here, the more energy the spirits will get, the stronger they'll become, and the more chance there'll be of a worse spirit appearing."

2D saw Murdoc open his mouth and feared that the stubborn bass player would refuse to cooperate. However, he was pleasantly surprised. "Alright," The bassist groaned. "I was going to meet up with our collaborators tonight anyway. Whoever wants to can come along; we'll need as many minds as possible to discuss themes for the next album."

Russel sighed. "I suppose I'll go with Murdoc then."

"Excellent," Noodle said with a grin. "I'll be at the gym and 2D will be at the movies. Later tonight, I'll get us some rooms at a hotel and we can hang out there until tomorrow. I'll text you when I have the hotel's address."

2D sighed with relief when Murdoc rose from the couch and ruefully switched off the television. "Get up, Lards. We're leaving now."

. . .

2D was in his room searching for his wallet when he heard a knock at his door. He looked up with a smile. _Maybe someone's decided to go to the movies with me!_ Skipping to the door, 2D opened it and found Murdoc standing with his arms crossed, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Hello, Murdoc!" 2D chimed pleasantly.

"Faceache. I need to have a word with you." Murdoc strolled into the room and leaned against the windowsill. 2D sat on the edge of his bed facing the bassist, who shifted so that his shadow fell over the singer.

"Had an awful hangover this morning," the bassist grumbled. "But not so awful that I didn't remember a few things from last night."

Murdoc stared down at 2D, who tilted his head undiscerningly. "Umm… Okay."

Rolling his eyes, Murdoc muttered a phrase under his breath which sounded a lot like " _thickhead."_ Returning his gaze to 2D, the bassist elaborated, "2D, I made some accusations last night. About you. And I need to know if they're true. Does this ring a bell?"

2D closed his eyes, thinking back to the Strobelite club. _Did Murdoc and I even talk? I thought I spent the whole night with Noodle._ Thinking harder, 2D recalled pulling Murdoc away from the bar, and Murdoc saying something about women… "Oh yeah!" 2D said, smiling. "Sorry, Murdoc. I'm still not interested in going with you to pick up birds. But if you want to go to a club later-"

"No!" Murdoc growled, slapping a hand to his face. "What I said after that! About you and Noodle!"

2D's face dropped and he scratched his head nervously. "Oh yeah… er… well, you never made any particular claims, aside from acknowledging that me and Noodle are friends-"

Murdoc took a step towards 2D, making the singer cringe slightly. "'D, you and Noodle can do whatever you want, be whatever you want, _I don't care._ But I need to _know._ This is my band, and I've got to keep track of what all you lackeys are doing so that you don't go breaking each others sodding hearts and ruining everything I've worked for! So tell me, _is there anything going on between you and Noodle?"_

2D paused for a moment, staring at his knees. "Uhhu… er… well, no-"

"Then why'd you hesitate to answer me?"

2D flinched at Murdoc's accusing tone of voice. "Nothing's going on. We're just friends and we care about each other"

Murdoc's stare lost none of its intensity as it bored through the top of 2D's bowed head. "Do you want something to be happening between you and Noodle?"

2D squirmed. _Gosh, this question is even harder than the last one!_ 2D fumbled through his words. "Well, I… ahhh… ummm… I want to… to make sure… that Noodle gets what she wants… so when she needs a best friend… ummm… I can be that best friend… and she'll… love me as her best friend… Maybe more than she likes the rest of her friends?" He glanced up at Murdoc, braving the bassist's hard stare.

Murdoc held 2D is his gaze, his face still as stone for a good few seconds before the bassist's lips began to curve into a knowing smirk. "Well, that was quite a speech for you, Faceache. But I'm afraid that if equivocating was your goal, you failed miserably. You didn't say no. That tells me everything I need."

2D gaped up at Murdoc's evil grin. "Wait… but… I never said-"

"Figure yourself out, 2D," Murdoc said, pushing himself off the wall and sauntering towards the doorway. "The sooner you do, the better off everyone will be." And then he was gone.

2D was left alone in his room to think over the uncomfortable conversation. _Equivocating? What does that even mean? And me and Noodle… Why does he want to know what I want, anyway? And what about him knowing everything he needs to know just 'cause I didn't say no? I mean, it's not like I said yes. Besides, all I really want is… ummm… ah… well…_ 2D scrunched up his face in confusion, his thoughts racing in disorganized turmoil. He stood up and paced the room. _What do I want? Why am I even thinking about this, it's a stupid question! Me and Noodle are best friends! We already have something good going!_ 2D banged his head into the wall, groaning. _But… If I could have… Would I..?_

The sound of car doors slamming and a motorcycle revving caused 2D to snap back from his deep thoughts. _Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be leaving the house. Gotta grab my wallet first._

. . .

The singer stepped softly down the stairs, the creaking of the ancient wood echoing through the eerily silent air.

2D strolled into the kitchen and glanced out the window, into the driveway. He pouted when he saw that the motorcycle and the car were already gone. _It would have been nice if someone had stuck around to give me a ride… Oh well. I guess I'll just call a cab._

The singer turned to lean with one hand against the kitchen's small wooden table, using his other hand to fish his phone out of his pocket and scroll through his contacts. Finding the number for Professional Cabs United, he hovered his thumb over the call button and moved to press it.

Then, something odd happened.

"Owww!" 2D cried, dropping the phone which was suddenly red-hot. It clattered onto the wooden table, knocking over a stack of papers as 2D whimpered, feeling his fingers sting and throb. He raised them to his mouth and sucked on them, hoping to cool the awful burning sensation.

The singer glared sullenly at his phone, which seemed to be mocking him as it sat face-up on the table, unscathed, with the cab company's number still shining off the screen. _Why did it do that?_ 2D thought, feeling more hurt than curious. _Stupid phone…_ 2D sighed and began to stack the scattered papers back into a neat pile.

2D recognized among the papers some of the mail he had collected earlier that morning. As his eyes passed over one of the sealed envelopes, he felt a sudden compulsion to pick it up. Grasping the envelope, 2D studied it closely, noting the stamp (which, creepily enough, had a picture of his own face on it) and the title _Billy Bobkins, a.k.a. your biggest fan_ scrawled in the top left corner. 2D didn't have the greatest memory, but even he could recognize the name of a fan who sent him letters twice a week, even when he had yet to disclose his location. _It's that weird fan dude who always writes. I wonder how he always seems to know where we live._ 2D looked at the addressee label in the center of the envelope. Like all of this particular fan's letters, it was addressed not to the whole band, but specifically to the singer.

2D stared at the letter, forgetting about his stinging fingers as an odd sort of feeling stole over his mind. _Murdoc usually just tells us to throw away fan mail. These letters rarely contain anything interesting anyway…_ But he couldn't take his eyes off the letter. It was as if there were some foreign force in his mind, prodding him, pushing him to open it. _It is addressed just to me… None of my bandmates should mind. I guess I can give it a quick look-over before I head to the movies._

As 2D tore the envelope open, a small shiver of pleasure washed through him, as if rewarding him for complying with his mind's strange whim. 2D removed the letter eagerly from its packaging, and his shining black eyes rolled over the script:

"Dear 2D,

"Hey! It's Billy again! Even though you haven't responded to any of my letters yet (2D thought back to the time he had roasted marshmallows over a fan mail fire), I know you love to hear from me! And I'm sure you've just been too busy making music lately to write!

"I heard that the Phase 4 album is in the works. I'm checking your website daily, so I'll be the first to know where preordering starts! It wouldn't surprise me if I were the first person in the whole world to preorder it. Do you think you could pick out a special one for me and sign it?

"I also heard that most of the songs on the album will have collaborators. Don't get me wrong; collaborators are cool. But I miss your voice, man! Could you make sure we get a couple of tracks with just you singing? Please? It would make my day!

"I noticed that neither you nor the rest of the band have RSVP'd for my birthday party yet. That's totally okay! Feel free to just show up whenever! You don't even have to bring a present! In fact, I'll give you my presents!

"I have to wrap up this letter now so that I can put it in the mail before my mother wakes up. She says that I have an 'unhealthy obsession.' Personally, I think there's no shame in a twenty-five-year-old man living in his mother's basement trying to keep up with the people who are most important to him.

"Remember to write some good songs with just you singing! I'll probably cry if you don't! You can sing them at my birthday party!

"Sincerely,

"Desperate to hear your melodious voice,

"Billy Bobkins

"A.K.A. your biggest fan

"P.S. I love you. And your voice. Write those songs!

 _This dude's crazy,_ 2D thought, shaking his head. He had half a mind to stick the letter in a toaster and watch it burn.

An oppressive sensation suddenly swept over 2D's mind. Holding the letter in his left hand, 2D raised his right to rub his skull, groaning. _Did I remember to take my pills this morning? It feels like I've got a headache coming on…_ 2D grimaced. _But my head doesn't usually feel quite like this before a headache. This is different._ 2D pondered confusedly over the odd feeling in his mind. It wasn't as terrible as an oncoming headache, but it wasn't pleasant either. Focusing on the feeling, his eyes squeezed shut, 2D willed it to go away.

2D felt a strange compulsion again, like the one that made him open the letter. There almost seemed to be a voice whispering suggestions into his mind: _Look back at the letter, 2D. Look at it._

Remembering how he had felt good after complying with the first of his mind's strange whims, 2D opened his eyes and glanced back down at the letter in his hand, skimming over it briefly. As his eyes slid over the phrase _I miss your voice,_ another sharp twinge lanced through the singer's mind. And that voice in his head- _maybe it's my conscience-_ began speaking again:

 _Our fans are sad. They miss our voice. they're sad, they're so sad…_

2D felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. _My fans are sad._ He felt a deep, melancholy feeling settle in his chest, and bowed his head. _Sad, sad, sad-_

 _Hey! You know what we should do to make our fans happy?_

2D perked up, listening to the voice in his head. _What? What should I do?_

 _You should write a song! Just like the letter asked for! You can write a song with just you, all by yourself!_

That heavy feeling in his chest was lifting, and 2D smiled eagerly. _Yeah! I can write a song! And then everyone will be happy!_ 2D looked around the room, looking for a bandmate to share his idea with. Then he remembered. _My bandmates aren't home right now. They're not here to help me make the song._

 _That's okay!_ The voice cried merrily. _This is your song! You can do it all by yourself!_

2D shuffled his feet nervously. _But I like it best when we make music together. It'll be lonely writing a song all by myself._

 _No, it'll be fun, trust me! And your bandmates will be so proud of you!_

An image swam to the forefront of 2D's mind, holding the singer's attention like a hypnotic vision. He saw his bandmates smiling, clapping him on the back and congratulating him on his excellent new song. Allowing his eyes to close, 2D smiled, falling into the vision, dwelling on each of his bandmate's faces in turn. Murdoc, usually so grouchy these days, would look transformed with the joy of hearing 2D's music. Russel, for once wide awake, would be nodding his head, enjoying the rhythm of the tune.

And Noodle…

 _Her smile will be the best._

2D's breathing caught in his throat as he saw the beautiful guitarist grinning from ear to ear, telling him that the song was the best she'd ever heard. She would step close to him, her arms wrapping around his waist and sliding up his back, and he would lean down so she could bring her lips close to the side of his face, so close that her soft skin brushed against his as she whispered praise into his ear…

2D shuddered involuntarily, overcome by the power of the vision. And that odd little voice, strange but encouraging, spoke up once more. _You want that, don't you? Their praise? Her praise? You can do this, 2D. You can write the song._

2D opened his eyes, which shined white with excitement. _I can do this! I'm gonna make them all so proud!_

2D turned towards the hallway to run to the recording stu- _wait a minute. We don't have a recording studio in here._ 2D paused, startled out of his blissful compliance. _There aren't even any instruments here._

 _Never fear, 2D!_ The voice chipped in merrily. _Take a look in the basement; I'm sure we'll find something down there!_

2D smiled once more. _Yeah, the basement! There's got to be something I can use down there!_ The singer sprinted joyfully towards the basement stairway.

 _Thudthudthudthud…_ 2D's feet thundered down the stairs. Hopping over the last few steps, the singer rounded the corner and turned to face the main room of the basement with shining eyes.

His jaw dropped.

Sitting right there, in the center of the room, was a large piano.

 _Wow,_ 2D thought, approaching the instrument with an expression of pure awe. _Noodle's been passing through here to get to her room for the past two days, but she never told me this was here!_ He stroked the keys gently, without pressing any. Was it a trick of the light, or did the ivory really glow beneath his fingertips? Was it just his own excitement, or could he feel energy pulsing from within the instrument? _This is so cool! Why didn't Noodle tell me about this?_

2D tilted his head slightly to the left. _Maybe it wasn't here yet earlier. Murdoc or Russel might have placed it here, it may have popped up while Noodle and I were gone-_

 _Popped up?_

2D imagined a piano suddenly appearing in the basement out of nowhere, then vanishing as quickly as it had come. It appeared again, then vanished, then appeared, then vanished, appeared…

 _Vanished._

 _A piano that vanishes… but that sounds a bit like…_

Eyes widening, 2D gasped in horror, yanking his hand away from the piano and stumbling backwards frantically until his back hit the wall. _The ghost piano!_ 2D eyed the piano in shock, now noticing that the keys really were glowing, that there really was some sort of strange energy pulsing out from the instrument, tearing through the air and sending awful chills through his bones.

 _What's wrong, 2D?_ The voice piped in. _It may not have the best reputation, but a piano's a piano._ _Besides, it might turn out to sound super cool, like Murdoc's special base guitar! Give the piano a chance!_

"No…" 2D said out loud, shaking his head as he rejected the guiding voice. _I'm not supposed to go near this piano, that's why we're all leaving the house- wait a minute! I shouldn't even be in the house right now!_ 2D began edging towards the stairs. "I've got to get out of here!"

 _Come on, 2D! It's just a piano!_

"It's a demon piano!"

 _Just try it, just one little song!_

"No! I've got to stay away from that thing!"

 _Just press one key? Please?_

"NO!" 2D shouted, suddenly angry at the voice in his head. "You're a stupid conscience! Didn't you listen to anything Noodle or the old lady said? The piano is bad! This house is bad! I'm leaving NOW!" 2D turned away from the piano and marched towards the stairs.

 _Not cooperating? Oh well. You give me no other choice._

2D fell to the ground.

"Ahhh!" He cried, squeezing his head in both hands as a wave of agonizing pain burst through his skull. It felt like his brain was exploding, burning…

 _SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T LISTEN?_

"Stop it!" 2D wailed, clenching his fingers into his hair as he writhed on the floor.

 _OH, YOU WANT THE PAIN TO STOP?_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" 2D screamed. He didn't like the voice, and he was starting to think that it wasn't his conscience. It was something bad… Very bad…

 _POOR 2D'S HAVING A LITTLE HEADACHE,_ the voice sneered _. NOW, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENNED IF YOU'D JUST FOLLOWED MY ORDERS._

"I-I'm g-getting out of h-here," 2D cried through the pain, pulling himself to his knees. He crawled across the floor towards the staircase, his kneecaps grinding painfully into the hardwood floor. When he made it to the bottom stair he reached up, grabbing the railway and beginning to pull himself to his feet. His knees had barely left the ground when the railing began to burn. 2D screamed as he quickly let go of the railing, falling backwards and hitting his head against the floor with a resounding _bang_. Threading his fingers back through his hair, 2D moaned. The room was spinning, it felt like a bomb had gone off in his head, and his face was sticky with tears.

 _WHAT DO YOU SAY, BOY; READY TO PLAY ME A SONG?_

"No! Neve- AUGH!" 2D howled as the pain in his skull intensified. He curled into a ball and dug his fingernails into his scalp.

 _YOU SHOULDN'T BE SO STUBBORN. IT WILL ONLY CAUSE YOU MORE PAIN._

"NOODLE!" 2D cried, his thoughts becoming blurry. "Noodle, help me!"

 _SHE CAN'T HELP YOU. SHE LEFT, REMEMBER?_

"Russel, Murdoc!" 2D continued frantically, tears streaming down his face. "Anyone, please help! Please help!"

 _NO ONE'S HERE TO SAVE YOU. I'LL GET WHAT I WANT IN THE END._

"No no no…" 2D whimpered. "Please…" He didn't think he could hold onto his mind much longer, the pain was pushing his thoughts, his resistance, to the edge. _I can't do this…_

 _GIVE IN, 2D._

"No…" 2D pleaded, shaking his head weakly.

 _LET GO._

"Nuhhh." 2D let out one last shaky breath before his mind fell to pieces.

The singer went limp, his curled limbs falling heavily to the floor. The sound of his collapse echoed through his hollow skull. The pain was gone. So were the rest of his feelings. His thoughts were gone, too. His mind was utterly silent.

 _Feeling better?_

2D's head felt numb, completely empty. Like a zombie, he nodded dumbly to the voice.

 _Then get up._

2D rose to his feet, his eyes listless and glassy.

 _Sit at the stool, in front of the piano._

2D complied, walking over and sinking into the faded seat. His hands folded over the gleaming keys. Ghostly green tendrils crept out of the piano, wrapping around his hands, crawling up his chest, his neck, his face, covering him in a glowing web. A strange energy slipped down his throat; his body rebelled for a moment and he choked, but the energy swiftly stifled the reaction. Feelings that weren't his own sparked in the singer's brain. Somewhere, in the core of his mind, a small piece of 2D whimpered in protest as it was surrounded by foreign voices; they pulled at him, taking over his thoughts, his creativity, his soul, and combining it with their own. The voice chuckled with satisfaction.

 _Now play._

. . .

The sun had just sunk below the horizon, leaving a thin orange line below a navy sky. Saturnz Barz stood tall, silhouetted against the last dying rays of sun. As a breeze rustled the leaves of a haggard old tree, a distant noise began to make itself known. At first it was a gentle buzz, barely discernible against the sound of the windblown leaves. It grew louder, becoming less and less distant until it began to resemble a gravelly roar. The roar of a motorcycle's engine.

A rider became visible in the horizon.

Noodle leaned forward, hoping she could make it in and out of the house before the sky went completely black. _I can't believe I left my phone behind,_ she thought, gritting her teeth. _The others are probably wondering why I haven't contacted them yet; they'll be impatient. Murdoc will be a pain to deal with…_

She pulled up in front of the house, hastily dismounting and setting her helmet in the grass before running to the door. Noodle grabbed the doorknob, intending to yank the door open as quickly as possible. She paused when she felt the handle vibrate.

Noodle stared at the door. She couldn't help having a flashback to the raccoon in 2D's closet. Moving her hand, Noodle brushed her fingertips lightly against the door, then against the side of the house. It was all vibrating, almost imperceptibly.

Biting her bottom lip worriedly, Noodle glanced towards the nearest window. Someone had left the kitchen light on, allowing Noodle to see that there were no spirits in that room. She took a deep breath. _A trembling house won't hurt me. The spirits are probably just snoring._

Noodle entered the house warily, quickly switching on a light and searching all corners of the foyer. _All seems well up here, aside from the floor vibrating. And that noise…_ Noodle closed her eyes, listening. _It sounds like someone's playing music._

Noodle took a few steps forward, swiveling her head from side to side, trying to determine where the music was coming from. Following the sound across the foyer, she found herself standing in front of the basement door. The guitarist pressed an ear to the wood and listened. _Yep. That's where the music's coming from._ It was an odd sort of tune with various instruments; Noodle could pick out some sort of keyed instrument amongst the noise, as well as a male voice singing. The voice sounded ominously familiar, but the door muffled the sound too much for her to make out the singer or the words. In fact, even through the door, Noodle could tell that the whole song had a warped quality to it.

 _The spirits must be messing with that old record player. I hope that thing's not haunted too. It's a cool antique, and it would be nice to keep around once this whole mess is over._ For a moment, Noodle considered checking the basement to make sure the spirits weren't causing any serious mayhem, but she ultimately decided against it. _They can't do much harm as long as we avoid them. I'd better just grab my phone and get out of here. I may have left it by the kitchen cupboards when I was grabbing those protein bars…_

Turning her back to the basement, Noodle ran to the kitchen and smiled when the scarlet gleam of her phone case caught her eye from the countertop. Approaching the object, Noodle picked it up tenderly. The case had been a gift from 2D last Christmas. It was covered in custom script chosen by the singer. Japanese symbols were etched in shining black ink upon the case, including symbols for the words _dare, friendship, love, gorilla,_ and, of course, _Noodle._ The guitarist smiled. Turning on her phone, she saw that she had multiple texts from Murdoc, and a missed call from Russel. _I better go make those hotel reservations soon._

As she turned to leave the kitchen, Noodle heard a buzzing noise, like a phone vibrating, somewhere nearby. Noodle looked back at her own phone, confused. _I'm holding my phone right now, and I didn't feel it vibrate._ Noodle checked her screen just to make sure. Aside from the messages she had seen moments ago, there was nothing new.

Another buzz pierced the air. Noodle looked up, her head jerking towards the kitchen table. There, next to a disorganized pile of miscellaneous papers, was the shining screen of another phone, this one in a bright magenta case. _2D's phone._

Noodle picked up the item. 2D's phone wasn't locked (the singer could never remember his passwords) and Noodle was able to read the message he'd just received from Murdoc:

"Faceache, has Noodle texted you? Tell her to hurry up with those hotel rooms."

Noodle pocketed 2D's phone along with her own as a chill crept up her spine. _How could 2D forget his phone? He would've needed it to call a cab; the theatre is too far away to walk to._ She grimaced worriedly. _I know that Murdoc and Russel didn't give him a lift; they left just before I did. 2D was the last to leave the house…_ Noodle's eyes widened, and she felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. _He would have been the last to leave the house. If he left the house._

Noodle dashed out of the kitchen, sprinted up the stairs, and burst into 2D's room without knocking. She found it empty. "2D?" Noodle called, turning to face the hallway so that if anyone were on the top floor, they would hear her. "Stuart? Toochie? Are you here?" There was no response.

 _I'm probably overreacting… He probably set the phone down after calling the cab…_ but then Noodle remembered the basement, the keyboard-like tune, the familiar singing which she had taken to be a record…

Noodle raced down the stairs. Arriving quickly at the basement entrance, Noodle flung the door open, and was immediately hit by a wave of loud music. She raced down the stairs, towards the strange lights flashing across the walls and the floorboards, towards the music which grew louder as she cleared the last stair and turned to face the room.

The sight before her made her gasp.

In the center of the room sat 2D playing a piano, his back turned towards her, both himself and the instrument shrouded in an eerie green glow. Around him, the room was in complete cosmic disarray. It was like when the spirit house had appeared to soar through space during their first haunting, except now, various scenes flashed out of where the room's walls ought to be, a collage of cityscapes, dancing crowds and flashing lights bombarding the eyes. As Noodle attempted to take in the visual mess of the room, 2D's voice soared hauntingly into her ears.

"I was gone with the self of the day, gone… With the self of the day, gone…"

"2D!" Noodle screamed over the noise. "What's going on?"

But her friend didn't respond, continuing to caress the keys of the spirit piano and sending eerie notes flying through the room. His head was bowed over the keys with complete focus; the ghostly green glow of the instrument cast a sickly sheen upon his spiky blue hair. It was as if he hadn't even heard her.

Beginning to feel frantic, Noodle took a step forward, braving the distorted scene as she reached out to her friend-

And got slammed into the wall.

"Ahh!" Noodle gave a short gasp of pain as whatever had pushed her began to wrap around her, holding her arms to her sides. She struggled for a moment before angrily turning to face her captor: A long, blue, one-eyed worm. "Get off, you stupid demon! What are you doing with my frien- mmph!" She felt a new presence hovering behind her head as multiple hands covered her mouth. The guitarist continued to struggle, but with her arms bound to her sides and two spirits working together to hold her down, there wasn't much she could do. Her pulse racing, Noodle watched the scene unfold in front of her.

Although she couldn't see her bandmate's face, Noodle could make out a slick sheen of sweat coating the singer's arms and sticking his shirt to his back. _The spirits must have had him playing for them for hours! But he just keeps going… Usually he complains when Murdoc tries to make him do something like this; why isn't he complaining now?"_

2D was singing a song that she had never heard before, and she didn't remember 2D ever talking about making a song like this. 2D would always consult his bandmates when he was trying to write a song; he would want help sorting out all of the feelings behind the lyrics and making those feelings tangible to an audience. Noodle listened carefully to the lyrics, trying to figure out what they were about.

"Gone with the self of the day, gone…

"I'm back, where are we goin'?  
"Seem to get tired of the mornin' dawn,  
"With a basin on my head,  
"I'm missin' all that I used to know, then,  
"I get the kids to go, and I get,  
"Up on with certain dread,  
"And when I see the kissing down below,  
"Easy life, I get right,

"I was gone with the self of the day, gone,  
"With the self of the day, gone,  
"With the self of the day, gone,  
"Gone, gone, gone,  
"I was gone,

"I get dropped from where I belong,  
"I take my pills and I get in the mood and I,  
"Take five to get it to load in,  
"Even in the place,  
"And I get my jeans on right,  
"And sit in the rows and,  
"Inside I live in a cage and I,  
"Peek out and summon the code and I,  
"Enter the lake to face what I'm cagin'"

 _Well… This is a puzzle._ Noodle cursed inwardly with frustration at the cryptic lyrics. _Some parts seem to be about a normal day, but then he talks about dread, and being in a cage… Is that how he feels, being stuck here?_ The guitarist could feel her heart breaking for her friend. _What about the chorus? He's "gone?" gone with a different self? What does he mean?_

Noodle listened through another round of the chorus, her mind producing more questions than answers. When the chorus was complete, the music dropped off slightly, becoming soft, and 2D's voice stilled. The swirling scenery also calmed, and the room began to sink into darkness. Noodle decided to take the opportunity to try to reach out for her friend. She bit down hard on one of the hands covering her mouth, and they flew away quickly while the spirit behind her growled. Noodle shouted, "2D! What are you singing about? How are you 'gone?'"

The hands were back upon her, this time pressing her jaw to her skull so that her face could barely move. But she was able to watch as, slowly, the singer's head began to turn. His profile became visible, and Noodle's breath caught upon seeing the hollow look in the singer's eyes.

A thin beam of light shot out of the piano, hitting one of 2D's black eyes. His emotionless face instantly contorted into an ugly scowl. It frightened Noodle to see his with that expression; it looked so unnatural spread across the singer's pale features. 2D opened his mouth and growled.

"She gave me sleeping powder."

As Noodle's eyes widened, 2D's head twitched violently. The scowl was gone, replaced by a mixture of confusion and fear. The singer looked into Noodles eyes, his lips parted and trembling, and he looked like he was about to tell Noodle something-

The piano exploded in a burst of scarlet light.

Noodle flinched, but struggled to keep her eyes open. She saw the huge light flare in the center of the room, sparking madly, before it shot forward, passing through 2D, knocking the man off his stool and onto the floor. The light then disappeared, and the room plunged into total darkness.

Noodle fell to the ground as the spirits holding her suddenly vanished. Her knees hit the floor and she threw out her arms, catching herself and sparing herself a head injury. The room was now completely silent. Lifting her face, Noodle looked around frantically, unable to see a thing in the pitch-black basement. "Toochie? Can you hear me?"

She heard a shuffling noise coming from the center of the room.

Noodle reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and turning it on. The pale light of the screen burned her eyes before she held it away from herself, turning it to illuminate the room. She could have cried with relief when she saw 2D rising to his feet, his back turned towards her as he straightened his legs, swaying slightly. Noodle stood up as well. Then the floor began to tremble.

 _My nerves have had enough of this house…_ "2D, I'm not sure what just happened, but we need to get out of here _now."_

2D stood there, breathing deeply, not turning around. Noodle tilted her head in confusion. "2D? Is everything okay?"

2D didn't react, but the floor continued to shake. Noodle took a step forward. _I'll carry him out of this house If I have to._ "I'm going to get us out of here, 2D-"

The singer turned around so fast that Noodle involuntarily flinched backwards. She looked into his eyes and her heart nearly stopped.

They were blood red.

Noodle watched in horror as her bandmate's face contorted into a cruel sneer, one that didn't belong to the sweet singer she knew. Her hands trembled slightly as she whispered under her breath, "Toochie…"

With a demonic smile, the man in front of her replied, "Gone."

. . .

 **And that is why 2D must always be supervised. He's never gonna live this down…**

 **Coming up next: The spirits have taken over 2D! Can his bandmates get their beloved singer back, or is his mind lost forever? What are the spirits going to use him for?**

 **P.S. I'm going on a trip and I probably won't be updating for about a month. But don't get worried! I promise I'm not giving up on this story! We'll see if I can squeeze in another chapter before I go, but if not… well… see you in August!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: A Mind Invaded**_

 **Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

As she stood in the basement of the trembling spirit house, two very strong emotions coursed through Noodle's blood.

One of these emotions was fear. It was partially due to the shrill creaking of the unstable slum which threatened to collapse upon her and crush her under layers of splintering debris. There was also the demon to consider, the one who held her in his glowing red gaze and smiled with bared teeth as if he were a wolf cornering a rabbit. However, most of Noodle's fear wasn't for her own safety.

 _Gone_ , the demon had said. Noodle searched the being's face desperately, hoping to find some trace of her best friend behind the contorted features. _Come on, 2D, show me you're still in there!_ She looked into his eyes, the windows to the soul, but failed to find even the faintest glimmer of terror, regret, or kindness, anything that could reassure her of her friend's presence. She felt her panic rise; bile stung the back of her throat. _He can't just be gone… No…_

Despite the strength of her fear, Noodle could feel the second emotion bubbling within her. It grew as she looked into the demon's eyes, springing up from within the depths of her soul and raging through her veins. Her fingers curled into fists; fingernails dug into her palms. She could feel the emotion steadily smothering her fear, giving her the courage to meet those scarlet eyes until she too was seeing red.

It was anger.

Noodle took a step towards her possessed friend. Her lips were curled into a snarl which matched the dark intensity of the demon's sneer. "What have you done to 2D?"

The demon smiled with cruel satisfaction. "I'm afraid you won't be seeing too much of your friend anymore. His body is mine now." The demon took a deep breath, seeming to savor the musty basement air as it filled his new set of lungs, puffing out his stolen chest. "Oh, it's good to be back on this side of the Spirit Border. I was beginning to worry I'd be stuck in that piano forever. I really must thank you and your friends for visiting Saturnz Barz; the large man… Russel, you call him… has been of great assistance to my servants in solving our little _energy crisis._ And this idiot…" The demon surveyed his new body with a smirk. "He's had his uses too. Poor fool, so trusting. Took him forever to figure out that the voice in his head wasn't there to help."

Noodles fists clenched. She could feel heat spreading across her skin, her blood boiling with hatred. The angry part of her wanted to rip the demon's head off. The scared part of her held her back, knowing that to destroy this body was to lose 2D permanently.

 _That is, if he isn't already lost permanently…_

Noodle shook her head jerkily, willing the dark, fearful thought to go away. Her eyes narrowing into slits, Noodle growled at the demon, "Leave his body, _now._ Or I'll make you. I've killed demons before, and I can do it again."

"What, and risk harming your friend?" The demon simpered. "Not likely." He tilted his head, as if in thought. "However, I can see in the boy's memories that you've met an old enemy of mine, the sleeping powder woman. I'll have to make sure I eliminate her after I kill you."

Noodle's body tensed, her stomach dropping as the demon's words registered in her mind. _So he wants to kill me_ , she thought. _Very well, I've fought demons before; I can fight him._ But behind her brave thoughts, Noodle's heart was breaking, wondering what exactly she would have to do to her friend's body to protect herself. Her gut twisted as she imagined herself holding a decapitated head, grasping it by its silky blue locks and raising it to study the eyes as their red luster faded into empty, achingly familiar blackness. Noodle's stomach lurched; she swallowed quickly and banished the image from her mind before it could make her heave.

Fortunately, she was distracted from her squirming insides by a frustrated growl. She looked up to see the demon deep in thought, a stormy look raging in his eyes. "Idiot! It figures… The stupid fool doesn't remember her address!"

Noodle smirked. She never thought she'd be proud of 2D for being forgetful.

There was a sudden flash of movement. Before Noodle had time to do so much as gasp, her back had been slammed into the wall; a pale hand was fisted around the collar of her shirt and lifting her off the ground. The guitarist's breathing hitched as the demon leaned towards her, his burning gaze demanding her attention.

"Where is she?" The demon hissed.

In spite of the demon's attempts to scare her and the aching in her spine, Noodle felt a dark smile cross her features. The demon needed information, and he wasn't about to get it. Noodle tilted her head and put on an expression of mock confusion. "'She?' Who's 'she?' I have no idea who you're talking about."

The demon brought Noodle forward then slammed her back into the wall, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from the guitarist. "DON'T TAUNT ME! Where is the woman who makes sleeping powder?"

Tilting her head to meet the demon's gaze, Noodle narrowed her eyes defiantly. "I don't remember."

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" The demon screamed. His breath was searing hot; Noodle closed her eyes and tried to turn away, but it wasn't very easy with the demon holding her against a wall.

For a few moments, an eerie silence filled the air. Confused, Noodle tentatively opened an eye, turning back to face the demon.

The moment she met the demon's gaze, the room disappeared around her.

. . .

Noodle gasped, glancing from side to side. She was at one end of a dimly lit corridor. On the other end, about twenty meters away, she saw a door. The door's blue paint and black doorknob triggered a spark of familiarity in the back of the guitarist's mind, but the strange red mist which leaked from the crack beneath the door filled her with a chilling sense of foreboding.

Taking a step back, Noodle felt something small and round press into her lower back. She turned to see another door, this one white with brightly painted oriental flowers dancing across the wood and a golden doorknob stationed just above the height of her waist. As she watched the door, Noodle felt a soothing sense of calm wash over her. This door felt even more familiar than the other, and a reassuring warmth seemed to radiate from the wood. Noodle smiled peacefully, running her fingertips over the likeness of a red poppy flower. This was _her_ door.

A creaking noise startled her out of the peaceful reverie. She turned to look down the hallway.

The blue door had opened, and red mist was pouring out of it, sloshing against the walls and flowing over the carpet. The guitarist stood rigid and unblinking; she could feel the blood pounding in her ears as a dark, humanoid figure appeared in the open doorway. It stepped into the hallway, red mist pooling around its ankles and tumbling out of its mouth. Aside from the mouth and a set of glowing red eyes, the being was completely featureless, like a tall, walking shadow.

It began treading down the hallway, towards Noodle.

 _I can't let it reach my door,_ Noodle thought, sensing the evil leaking out from the dark figure. She considered backing against the door, protecting the doorknob with her body, but she could see the shadow shifting as it made its way towards her and realized that its arms could probably contort, lengthen, twist, and slide around her to get to the doorknob. _I must not let it get close enough to do that._ Noodle leaned forward and crouched into a sprinting stance. _I'll have to fight it._

"HEEAAAAAH!" Noodle screamed, tearing down the hallway towards the shadowy figure. It paused, its fingers twitching as the guitarist grew closer. Arriving in front of the shadow, Noodle leaped into the air, leaning back and throwing her heel towards the figure's chest. She felt a rush of satisfaction as she hit the figure with bone-breaking force, causing it to stumble backwards. A moment later, her blood ran cold as that figure wrapped its hands around her ankle and used the momentum of its fall to throw her down the hallway towards the blue door.

Both fighters found themselves with their backs on the carpet, but Noodle, as she stared dazedly at the ceiling, felt a stab of panic. The figure was between her and her door. Wincing through her pain, Noodle leaped to her feet as quickly as possible and charged the figure once more as it rose to its feet. She leaped upon the figure's shoulders, wrapping an arm around its neck in a secure headlock. Tightening her grip, she wondered if she could pull the head off the figure. The figure raised its arms, wrapping its hands around Noodle's arm, trying to pull her off. Noodle grinned, thinking she had the upper hand.

Then the figure began to melt beneath her.

Noodle's eyes widened in shock as the head softened into a puddle of goo, spilling all over her arm. Thick black fluid covered her chest, her legs, and her whole body as she felt herself falling through the ooze and hitting the floor.

Noodle groaned; her back and tailbone were aching severely after the numerous recent falls and impacts they had sustained. _At least the shadow is dead,_ Noodle thought as she attempted to lift herself out from the puddle of goo.

Instead, she found that she couldn't move.

Noodle pulled at her arm, her heartrate increasing as the goo solidified around her, sticking her to the carpet. As Noodle struggled to lift her head, she saw something that nearly made her heart stop. At the end of the puddle just past her feet, the goo was rising. A tall, thin column of goo rose towards the ceiling until, once more, Noodle found herself staring at a humanoid figure of darkness. One of the figure's legs was connected to the congealed puddle holding Noodle to the floor. This leg extended forward, slithering in a snakelike manner as the other leg walked normally, carrying the figure towards Noodle's door.

 _NO!_ Noodle thought, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to free herself. As the figure stepped closer to the door, Noodle felt an awful sense of pressure at the front of her mind; her breath came in gasps as the blood rushed in her ears. The shadow was limping with agonizing, steady slowness; it was only five meters away from her door now… four… three…

Noodle heard a scream. An angry scream.

It was coming from the direction of the open blue door. Noodle couldn't turn her head to look at it, but she could hear it growing nearer. She soon heard running footsteps as well, pounding against the carpet, sending vibrations through the corridor. Something- someone- leaped over her, running towards the dark figure; his arms were held behind his back by a set of dark ropes which seemed to be trying futilely to pull him back towards the blue door; he was pale, with spiky blue hair…

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" 2D screamed, tackling the dark figure to the floor. Noodle craned her neck upwards painfully, watching the struggle. Somehow, 2D had managed to wrap the dark bonds on his wrists around the figure; the two fighters were tied together, and the figure seemed unable to change its shape when touching the strange ropes. In fact, the ropes seemed to be forcing the figure back into a humanoid shape; the puddle around Noodle was being sucked back into the figure's leg, and the guitarist soon found herself free.

Noodle rose shakily to her feet, ignoring the pain shooting through her protesting limbs. 2D and the dark figure were tangled together, writhing on the floor. As Noodle stared openmouthed at the pair, the dark ropes went taught. They began to drag 2D and the figure away from her door, back down the hallway.

Noodle stumbled towards the pair, her unsteady limbs threatening to collapse beneath her. Pausing about two steps away from them, Noodle opened her mouth only to realize that she was at a loss for words. The ropes continued to pull the pair towards the blue door; Noodle watched as they were dragged past her. Then, seeming to snap out of a haze, she rushed towards them. _2D's in trouble! I need to get him out of those ropes!_ She reached out; her fingers were just about to wrap around an inky black cord when 2D's panicked cry pierced her ears.

"Don't touch the ropes!"

The guitarist met 2D's gaze. Feeling her eyes water, Noodle realized how quickly she had come to miss those deep black eyes, how much she had longed to see them unpolluted by the demon's angry scarlet glow. She couldn't lose those eyes again.

"I can't let the demon take you, Toochie!" she responded with a cracking voice. "I want to free you!"

"The ropes are the only thing that can hold it back! If you free me, you'll free it too, and then the bad voice will be controlling both of our heads!" 2D said, looking up at Noodle with shining, wet eyes. "You have to let me go, and you have to get out of here! I don't want it to take you too!"

Noodle's hands were shaking as she followed the tangled pair at a safe distance. In a few more meters, they would be through the blue door, 2D's door, and it would be too late to help him. Noodle wanted nothing more than to throw herself onto the ropes, to pull at them and tear them away from her friend. But she knew 2D was right. She could sense the enchantment of the dark ropes, and it was clear to see that they were the only thing preventing the figure from using its power to escape its enemies and open Noodle's door. She looked at 2D's face. His expression was full of such a cocktail of emotions that, if Murdoc were here, he might have expressed surprise that the singer could fit all of those feelings into his head at once. His eyes shone with fear, sorrow, and something else, some sort of passionate emotion that kept Noodle riveted to his gaze. She could see tears in his eyes. There were tears in hers too.

"2D… I'm going to find a way to get the demon out of you, okay? Just hold on once you get back into your own head! Don't let it get rid of you completely!"

2D offered her a weak smile as a tear fell down his cheek. "Th-thanks, Noodle… But… If… If you c-can't save me… D-don't let it slow you down in life, I don't want you to be s-sad over me- "

"Hush, 2D! I _will_ find a way!" Noodle felt a tear roll down her own cheek.

2D sniffled. The red mist was swirling around him as the open doorway loomed over him. "N-noodle, you have to close the door b-behind me. Then it'll let you out of this place."

Noodle nodded tensely, her hands curling into fists. "I _will_ come back for you, 2D. I promise"

The ropes pulled 2D and the struggling figure through the threshold of the door as the singer choked out a few final words. "P-please be c-careful, Noodle! And… And I… I want you t-to know, I… I lo- "

Just then, the dark figure twisted around and secured its hands over 2D's throat. The last Noodle saw of 2D were his wide, scared black eyes and his open mouth gagging and struggling to breathe before he disappeared into the swirling red mist.

"2D!" Noodle cried, rushing forward. When she tried to follow him through the doorway, she felt an invisible force pushing her back. He was gone.

Shaking slightly, Noodle stepped back from the doorway. She raised a trembling hand to touch the blue door. Taking a deep breath, she spared one last glance into the red mist before pushing the door back into its frame. Instantly, the corridor disappeared.

 **Yaaay, new chapter! Hope it was worth the wait! I know it's not my longest, but at least there was a fight scene!**

 **Coming up next, will Noodle be able to keep her promise to 2D, or will sacrifices have to be made to protect the city from the possessed singer?**

 **Feel free to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Enter the Apocalypse**

 _ **Disclaimer: see chapter 1**_

When Noodle opened her eyes, she was back in the basement of the Spirit House.

She lifted her head wearily- _when did I end up on the floor?-_ and stared blankly into the dark room. The floorboards she lay across were trembling beneath her, and the room was filled with the ominous sounds of rattling furniture, creaking beams, and her own ragged breath.

 _What just happened? The vision- the doors, the dark figure- was that real?_ Noodle shook her head in confusion, thinking over her strange experience in the corridor. Then her eyes went wide. _Wait a minute- where's 2D?_

Noodle heard a pained groan rise above the turbulent clattering of the house. Still seeing nothing in the pitch-black basement, she began running her hands over the rough floorboards. _I must have dropped my phone around here somewhere… Aha! Here it is!_ With the press of a button, the guitarist soon had her surroundings exposed in the pale light of her phone screen.

There he was, leaning against the far wall with his bowed head cradled in his hands. The pose was so familiar to Noodle, reminiscent of when the singer would find himself struck by a bad headache (which, unfortunately, happened frequently). The guitarist let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, relieved to have found her bandmate, but also concerned by his evident pain. _I have to help him._ Stepping forward, Noodle reached out to her friend. "Toochie-"

She stopped in her tracks when he looked up at her with livid red eyes.

The expression on his face made her blood run cold. His teeth were bared in fury; she could feel waves of anger pulsing out of him like heat from a furnace. A deep growl rumbled in his chest, the kind of growl you hear when wolves prepare to fight. His whole body was caught in the demonic red glow of his eyes, and as dust rained down from the shaking ceiling, it appeared as if he were surrounded by a swirling scarlet mist.

Noodle took a step back, her heart beating fast. _I was wrong- that's not Toochie._

The demon let out a deafening scream, his voice echoing around the enclosed space with a supernatural intensity that forced Noodle to cover her ears. Even with her hands pressed desperately over the sides of her head, the guitarist could hear the demon shouting as if he were inches from her face.

"ACCURSED WOMAN! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU ALL! YOUR FRIENDS' BODIES WILL BE FLUNG ACROSS THE CITY IN PIECES! THEIR BLOOD WILL RUN DOWN THE STREETS AS THEY MINGLE WITH THE BLOOD OF A THOUSAND INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN! YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM FINDING THE SLEEPING POWDER WOMAN; I WILL DESTROY THE WORLD WITH MY POWER! NO SOUL CAN ESCAPE MY WRATH!

He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, and an awful cracking noise reverberated through the house. He lifted his arms into the air, and Noodle gasped as the ceiling pulled away from the walls. The dark, starry glow of the midnight sky poured into the basement as the rest of the house was lifted away, rising up until it hung suspended just over the level of the nearby treetops. The demon too began to rise, his toes lifting into the air and his hair floating eerily around him as he ascended. Noodle's neck craned back, her mouth hung open as she numbly watched the unnatural scene.

Those glowing red eyes turned back to her, and Noodle's breath hitched. The demon glared at her, a fiery glare of intense hatred, then swept an arm through the air. "SERVANTS… ARISE!"

Noodle let out a short shriek as, inches away from her foot, a dead hand shot upwards through the floorboards. Her gaze flickered wildly around as hands appeared throughout the room, followed by heads, chests, whole bodies. Decayed corpses rose to their bony feet, their clothes either muddied and torn or rotted away entirely. Some wore upside-down crosses similar to Murdoc's, and through her shock, it crossed Noodle's mind that these must be the demon-worshipers whom Charlene had mentioned, the former occupants of the Spirit House. She could hear unnerving groans resounding across the property, not unlike those she had once been accustomed to hearing around Kong Studios. Noodle felt sick to her stomach. Unless she was much mistaken, a large-scale zombie resurrection had just taken place, and she was in the middle of it.

A cold, cruel laugh sounded above her head. Noodle looked up once more to meet the evil leer of the demon as he spoke. "As much as I would savor the act of personally destroying your soul, I have a city to raze. SERVANTS, FINISH HER!"

With that said, the demon flew out of sight, in the direction of the city. Noodle didn't try to follow him with her eyes; she was more concerned with the formerly floating house which was currently falling through the air. Noodle flinched as it made contact with the walls, but by some cosmic power, the house fused back together instead of crashing upon itself to create a rubbish heap.

Noodle sighed with relief as she found herself encapsulated in a house that, although quite dark, was not shaking and creaking. The feel of a cold, clammy hand clamping onto her shoulder reminded her that this was no time to relax.

Noodle twisted around, breaking free of the bony grip, only to find herself crashing into another corpse. She fell backwards onto it, felt her back press against its stomach, its chin on her shoulder blade, smooth bone against her skin, teeth grazing the hairs on her neck-

She leaped frantically into the air, unintentionally shoving another body aside, which she could hear slamming into yet another body before hitting the floor. She stood with a racing heart as groans perforated the air around her, growing louder, growing closer. Her phone was still in her hand; Noodle turned it back on and held it up so that the light bounced off shining skulls, sent milky beams over yellowing skin, making dirt-encrusted demonic jewelry sparkle.

She was surrounded.

Noodle took a deep breath. Despite the harsh beating of her heart and the deafening roar of the blood in her ears, she did not panic. She was Noodle! At the age of ten, she could kick a zombie gorilla in the face and send the hordes of the undead back to their graves! It looked like it was time to prove that the former super-soldier's skills had not grown rusty.

The zombies were closing in on her. Spotting the stairway door on the opposite side of the room, Noodle dived low and rolled, knocking out the legs of three zombies and making them topple like bowling pins. A fourth zombie stood in her path, stooped forward, and bared its teeth and nails, ready to puncture her skin and infect her with the disease of the undead should she barrel into it. Inches away from its skeletal face, Noodle tucked her feet under her waist and leaped into the air, vaulting over the zombie's head, spinning around, and kicking his skull with her heel for good measure. Landing in a crouch, Noodle watched the zombie's head skid across the floor before disappearing behind the advancing skeletal legion. Leaping high into the air, Noodle hopscotched over the rotting scalps of a few clustered zombies before a particularly weak zombie gave way beneath her and forced her to return to the ground. Glancing up towards the door, Noodle observed that, although she had made it past the thick of the crowd, about five zombies barred her way to the door. Two stood at attention directly against the door. The other three were advancing towards her with their arms raised and their jaws drooping as they released undead moans.

Noodle charged the closest of the three and drove her elbow into its sternum. Shards of bone flew towards her; her elbow was protected by a thick motorcycle jacket, but Noodle had to turn away to prevent the infected bone from scraping her face. Spinning back towards the zombie, she kicked it towards another advancing zombie, knocking both to the floor. They tried to stand back up but tripped over each other's tangled skeletons.

Noodle turned towards the third of the advancing zombies. Leaning forward in preparation for another charge, Noodle was startled when hands fastened themselves on either side of her waist, lifted her off the ground, and began carrying her backwards with surprising strength into the undead crowd. Noodle kicked at the zombie's legs, but even as its legs toppled, the grip on her waist remained firm, forcing her to fall backwards with it, towards the outstretched arms and infected nails of the unnatural horde. Thinking quickly, Noodle wiggled and slid down out of her jacket, falling roughly to the floor before rolling swiftly away, barreling into and knocking down the third of the zombies between her and the door. Noodle leaped to her feet and observed two zombies remaining in front of the door.

Pulling them away with her hands would be risky; she might scratch her palm on a sharp piece of bone or a rock embedded in their skin. With the loss of her jacket, her arms were now vulnerable as well. Noodle narrowed her eyes in focus then leaped into the air with a spin. She kicked out her heel, and her spin sent it crashing through both zombies' skulls. As she landed back on the floor, the zombies collapsed. Sensing their undead compatriots at her back, Noodle rushed towards the door, yanking it open, diving through, and slamming it behind her with a _bang_.

Noodle sat at the bottom of the basement stairs, breathing heavily as she heard the undead bodies crash against the closed door. She closed her eyes and leaned back onto the stairs, allowing her sore limbs a moment's rest. _I'm glad to be out of there, but I suspect there may be more zombies outside. I'm not out of the woods yet…_ The guitarist found herself wondering what state the surrounding area would be in when she left the house. _The demon will probably reach the city soon, if he hasn't already. What kinds of powers does he have? Can he really destroy a whole city?_ Noodle fisted her hands with determination. _I have to get in there. If I can get Murdoc, Russel, and Charlene out of there, we can make a plan to stop the demon. I hope Charlene has had enough time to finish her powder-_

Noodle was jolted out of her thoughts when a heavy weight fell across her waist.

The guitarist attempted to leap to her feet, only to topple over as her attacker wound its body around her and pulled her down. Tucking one arm into her chest to protect herself from constriction, Noodle raised her other arm with her phone in her hand, casting its pale light over the slick blue flesh of the wormlike spirit who was rapidly covering her body in its own. A single, glowing eye leered down at her. Noodle felt hot anger bubbling in her chest.

"I am _sick_ of this _stupid_ worm!"

Phone still in hand, Noodle drove her knuckles into the large eye, causing the spirit to squeal and loosen its coils. She raised her fist, ready to punch it again-

A strong hand caught her wrist.

"Seriously?" Noodle screeched as she saw the many-armed spirit looming over her. Fortunately, the wormlike spirit's coils were still loose, and she was able to yank her body out of the creature's grip by pulling herself towards the many-handed creature. More hands reached for Noodle, aiming to apprehend her securely, but with incredible speed she twisted her body, threw her legs towards the many-handed creature's large face, and used him as a kickboard, launching herself up the staircase.

Once more, she found herself yanking a door open, leaping through the frame and slamming it shut behind her as her combatants crashed into the wooden surface. This time, however, she did not wait around to catch her breath. Noodle ran through the empty foyer and, barely breaking her stride, threw a kick at the front door which sent it flying off its hinges. She cleared the porch, tore across the grass, and leaped onto her bike, not sparing a thought for the helmet which lay resting on the ground. As she revved her motorcycle's engine, she could hear the moans of the undead echoing through the surrounding woods. Noodle looked towards the city; an eerie red glow hung in the air above it. She released her clutch and took off.

As she sped down the empty road, Noodle glanced at her phone, quickly skimming through her recent contacts. Finding the name she was looking for, Noodle pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear, holding her breath.

 _Ring, ring…_

 _Please let them be okay,_ Noodle thought.

 _Ring, ring…_

"NOODLE, WHAT IN SATAN'S NAME IS GOING ON?"

Noodle released her breath, somewhat relieved. "Murdoc! Is Russel with you? Are you in a safe place?"

" _SAFE?_ ME AND RUSSEL ARE TRAPPED WITH THE COLLABORATORS IN A CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE FILLED WITH HORDES OF ZOMBIES! I JUST LOOKED THROUGH THE WINDOW AND SAW FACEACHE FLYING IN A CLOUD OF RED SMOKE! WHAT DID YOU TWO DO?"

"Good, stay there. I'll explain everything when I get there. What's the address of the convention center?"

"I DON'T KNOW THE ADDRESS, IT'S NEXT TO THE BLOODY TOWN HALL!"

"Okay, I know where that is. I'll be there in ten minutes."

. . .

The city streets were indeed filled with the hordes of the undead.

Noodle leaned forward on her bike, swerving to avoid the occasional zombie. She glanced at a sign pointing towards Main Street and turned sharply onto the indicated road.

As she flew past rows of ancient brick buildings, Noodle could see the tall spire of the clocktower, which she recalled rose out of the town hall building. On the far side of this structure, Noodle could see a large crowd of zombies milling around the entrance of a large building. The convention center.

Noodle stalled in front of it, a few meters away from the crowd of zombies. Fortunately, they were too occupied with the door of the building to pay her much mind. Noodle looked at a nearby window, analyzing its size. _It looks large enough, and it seems like the type that would open from the inside…_

Hitting the redial button, Noodle held her phone to her ear.

"Are you almost here?" Murdoc asked.

"Open a window and see for yourself."

Noodle watched as the large pane of glass was lifted, and a scowling green face peered out at her.

"Open it wider," Noodle requested through the phone. Murdoc looked confused, glancing warily at the nearby zombies who were sure to notice soon that a new entryway had opened. When Noodle revved her bike loudly, the bassist's eyes went wide. He pushed the window wide open then disappeared; She could faintly hear him shouting for the other occupants of the building to make way.

Noodle sped forward. When she hit the curb, she used the force to send her bike flying through the air, soaring over the sidewalk, clearing the window sill.

People screamed as she flew threw the window on her motorcycle. Noodle quickly braked, skidding across the slick tile floor and bringing her bike to a screeching halt. Someone closed the window as she dismounted her bike. The guitarist stood slightly hunched over, one palm braced against the seat of her bike, panting with exhaustion.

Noodle nearly had a heart attack when she found herself once more entrapped in a tight, body-binding grip. However, she soon relaxed as a familiar, deep voice sounded just next to her ear.

"Baby-girl, are you okay? I was so worried…"

Noodle hugged her large friend back. "It's okay, Russel, I'm fine. And it's good to see you're okay too."

"Yeah, yeah; everyone's all fine and happy." Murdoc growled, narrowing his eyes at the hugging bandmates.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't care," Russel said with a smirk. "You should have seen him pacing before you called, he nearly tore his hair out thinking about how you hadn't answered anyone's texts-"

"Shut up!" Murdoc hissed, turning away from his bandmates. Noodle smiled and rolled her eyes. Murdoc would never admit to having a soft side when it came to his bandmates. Pulling away from Russel, Noodle charged Murdoc, who turned around just in time to stagger as she launched herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Aww, Murdoc, I was worried about you too."

Murdoc didn't meet her eyes, but nevertheless returned her hug. "Yeah, whatever."

Russel joined the hug and they stood there for a few moments in comfortable silence. Noodle was pretty sure she could hear some of the collaborators chuckling as Murdoc let out a low grumble. Eventually, Murdoc untangled himself from the hug and turned back to Noodle with a slightly softened, but still quite serious, scowl. "So. The city is full of zombies. My singer has learned to fly. You said you had explanations." The surrounding collaborators looked at Noodle curiously.

Taking a deep breath, Noodle launched into her story. "When I got home from the gym, I found 2D playing an enchanted spirit piano. He released a very powerful demon from the piano, but don't be too hard on him, because I think the spirits forced him to do it. The demon is currently possessing 2D, which is why he can fly. The demon is responsible for waking the zombies. He wants to destroy the city and kill everybody."

While Russel stared at her with his mouth hanging slightly open, Murdoc groaned and slapped a hand to his face. "I should've known the Dullard would be the one to kick off the zombie apocalypse. He's going to be the death of me."

"The woman that 2D and I met earlier today, Charlene Germaine," Noodle continued, "is making a special powder which has the power to banish the demon. The demon calls it 'sleeping powder.' We need to find her, make a plan to confront the demon, and send all of the spirits back. Hopefully, once the demon is gone, the zombies will lose their life force and the city will be safe."

Murdoc nodded slowly but seemed to have something on his mind. Noodle cocked her head to the side. "Murdoc? Is something wrong?"

Murdoc met Noodle's gaze warily, seeming hesitant to say something. "Noodle… I know a lot about demons and sending them back to whence they came. Heck, I've sent some back myself. And I think it's important for you to know that, if a demon has chosen a host, they often drag their host away with them when they are banished."

Noodle felt her stomach drop. _2D…._

She shook her head. "We'll figure out something. In the meantime, we need to get Charlene and find a safe place where we can make a plan. I can't fit all of you on my motorcycle; does anyone else have a vehicle nearby to make an escape with?"

"The nearest parking lot is two blocks away," said Peven Everett, their Strobelite collaborator. "We all parked there, and I don't think many of us are eager to try and run past all of those zombies to retrieve our cars."

"I parked my truck illegally on the curb," chipped in another collaborator, Little Simz. "I could fit someone into the passenger seat, and maybe someone into the truck bed as well."

Noodle nodded. "Excellent. If Murdoc comes with me on the motorcycle, we can put Russel in the truck bed and save the passenger seat for Charlene."

"Cool," Little Simz responded. "If you can distract the zombies with your motorcycle for a few seconds, Russel and I will crawl through the window and hop into the truck."

"Will the rest of you all be comfortable hanging out in the convention center while we fix this?" Noodle asked the other collaborators.

"Yeah," answered Kilo Kish, their collaborator on the track Out of Body. "The door seems to be holding up alright, and I think these windows are bulletproof. We should be fine."

Noodle walked back to her bike, with Murdoc following close behind. "Okay. Simz, give me a few moments to catch the zombies' attention before you and Russel go out. Benjamin Clementine, could you open and close the window? Good. Murdoc, hop on."

. . .

Noodle felt Murdoc's grip tighten around her waist as she spun donuts in the center of the road. The excited moans of the zombie horde oscillated in volume as she circled towards and away from them, adjusting the location of her path every now and then to prevent the zombies from getting too close and to guide them away from the window.

When she heard a truck's engine roar to life, Noodle broke her circle and shot down the road, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes. She could hear the truck on her tail. Noodle swerved around zombies while looking for the library, which she knew was farther down Main Street, just over a hill about a mile down the road. _Once I find the library, I can take the same route I took with 2D earlier today to get to Charlene's house._

Soon enough, the road began to climb uphill and the buildings lining the street began to look familiar. They were almost at the library. Noodle grinned as she put on an extra burst of speed and crested the hill, looking down to see the library-

Shrouded in a cloud of red mist.

Noodle braked, her bike screeching to a hasty stop, and she heard the truck's brakes cry out as said vehicle skidded to a stop beside her. _The demon must be somewhere in there,_ Noodle thought as she turned her bike around. _We'd better take a detour; if he sees us-_

Suddenly, a wide crack appeared in the tarmac just feet away from her. Noodle's knuckles went white on her handlebars; she turned her head to watch as the crack grew, curving around her cycle and the truck. Noodle revved her bike, planning to jump the crack in the road before it got much larger.

Instead, she barely managed to keep her bike upright as the ground lurched beneath her, sinking several meters in seconds. Noodle gaped as she found herself surrounded by crumbling, earthly walls. The sound of truck doors opening and closing registered faintly in the back of her mind as red mist tumbled over the edge of the pit. She watched, transfixed, as a silhouette appeared out of the ominous fog, hovering just over the edge of the pit, his spiky hair flying and his scarlet eyes leering down at her. He raised his arm and made a wide sweeping motion-

"Watch out!" Russel hollered.

Noodle gasped in surprise as Murdock flung her off of her own bike and onto the ground; he landed on top of her and held her down. She twisted her head around, planning on asking Murdoc why he had just shoved her into the asphalt, and looked up just in time to see a huge hunk of rock soar over the seat of her bike before smashing into the far wall. Had she still been on the bike, it would have killed her.

Before she could say so much as thank you, Murdoc was back on his feet, shouting angrily up at the demon. "Faceache! Stop being an idiot and kick that thing out of your head!"

The demon laughed with cruel mirth. "Your friend can't hear you; he's currently tied up in the darkest corner of his own mind. His soul is dying. Soon, he will be no more."

Noodle gritted her teeth in fury as the demon turned his attention to her. "And you… I'm impressed. I though I'd left you to die in Saturnz Barz. Oh well- I guess you'll just have to die here, with your friends watching."

No sooner had he said these words than both Murdoc and Russel moved to stand between the Demon and Noodle.

"Keep your sodding hands away from my guitarist!"

"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK OF HARMING MY BABY-GIRL!"

Even Little Simz stepped up to stand beside Noodle and glare up at the demon.

The demon laughed once more. "Oh, you all want to die together? That can be arranged." He lifted his hands into the air, and the walls of the pit began to rumble around them. Noodle's gaze darted frantically left and right; clods of dirt, rock, and rubbish were falling from the unstable walls.

The pit was going to cave in.

Noodle glared up at the demon with tears burning in her eyes, trying to think of one last insult to hurl at her foe. That's when she saw a second silhouette plodding slowly through the mist, a small figure with a hunched back and one hand raised as if it were about to throw something. It sidled up behind the unsuspecting demon, then threw out its hand. Noodle saw a thin, powdery trail shoot towards the demon's neck.

He screamed.

A wall collapsed on one side of the pit. The occupants of said pit backed up as a deluge of dirt cascaded down, creating a tall slope which could prospectively be used to climb out. The demon fell, landing at the top of the slope and rolling down, kicking up a cloud of dust as he went. His body jerked and twisted; he scratched at his neck while screaming with a combination of anger and agony. The hunchbacked figure slid down the slope after him.

Noodle's spine went rigid as the screeching demon rolled to her feet. The hunchbacked figure slid smoothly to the floor of the pit and rose to her feet; Noodle spared a quick glance to meet the eyes of the friendly yet serious-faced Charlene Germaine. The old woman approached, stopping beside Noodle.

"You finished the powder?" Noodle asked.

"No," Charlene croaked. "My batch was incomplete when I had to make a getaway from those pesky zombies. That was a bit of the incomplete formula; I'm not entirely sure what it will do to him."

With tensed muscles, Noodle stared down at the demon who was writhing on the ground, shrieking and scratching at his stolen body. The incomplete powder was clearly causing the demon significant distress, but it had failed to send him away to the realm of spirits. Noodle wasn't sure whether to be frustrated or relieved. _I know it would be for the best for the demon to be sent away immediately, freeing the city from death and destruction,_ Noodle thought, _but 2D… I promised that I'd find a way to save him…_

The demon flipped onto his back and howled at the hazy night sky. From his open mouth came a flash of red light, then a plume of thick, glowing smoke. Noodle and her companions backed away to the uncollapsed edge of the pit as the plume of smoke grew, spreading wider and rising taller. The top of the plume rose above the rim of the pit, pulsing with an angry shade of red. Noodle sized up the growing cloud, craning her neck to see the top, then following it back down, lowering her eyes to observe where the scarlet trail poured out of the prone body's open mouth. The possessed man's chest convulsed. His head twitched violently. Noodle watched his face as he began to cough. At first he was only choking slightly, small puffs of red mist escaping him with each gag. As the seconds passed, his coughs grew more violent. He was hacking and heaving, his whole body thrashing with each cough. Smoke poured out of his mouth. Then it wasn't just smoke.

Noodle flinched as a spurt of dark, inky fluid sprung out of his mouth and fell to the ground, surrounding his face in a halo of small black drops. A tarlike substance was leaking out of his lips. Some of it spilled on either side of his face, creating a sticky puddle around his head. A column of the ooze rose up from his mouth into the cloud; it grew, shifted, and contorted itself as it rose above their heads. It was forming itself into a human-like silhouette, albeit an unnaturally huge one, arms sliding out from the sides of its figure, a head distinguishing itself from the body, and bubbling up from the face, a set of glowing red eyes…

Noodle clenched her fist as she recognized the figure from the corridor.

Beneath the figure and the smoke, 2D's body lay motionless on the ground. The tail of the smoke and the tar rose out of 2D's mouth, separating the hovering demon from its former host. The smoke-shrouded figure glowed with cosmic power, no longer burdened by the sting of the powder which it had left behind on the abandoned body.

Noodle rushed forward; someone made a grab for her arm but she yanked herself away. Running beneath the smoke, the guitarist crouched beside the still, blue-haired body. Her fingers flew to his neck, just beneath his jaw, and she pressed down, feeling for a pulse… There it was! Noodle sighed with relief. It was slow, it was weak, but it was there! She shook his shoulder.

"Toochie? Toochie, wake up! Show me that you're okay!"

He didn't move.

Frustrated, Noodle tapped his face, lifted an eyelid, and looked into a listless, unseeing black eye. She leaned over his face, her own eyes tearing up, oblivious to the shadowy demon towering above her. "Come on, Toochie… Look at me…"

An ear-splitting roar forced Noodle to cover her ears and look up from her friend's limp frame. The shadowy figure (who was now roughly as tall as a three-story building) was looming over her, angry mist spewing out of his mouth, his eyes lurid and enraged. "FOOLS! HOW DARE YOU DRIVE ME OUT OF HIS BODY WITH PAIN! THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES SHALL BE HIS LAST, AND HE SHALL DIE IN AN AGONY THRICE AS POTENT AS MY OWN!"

The figure swept his hand downward. A gleam of blinding light not unlike a bolt of lightning flew from his shadowy hand and struck 2D in the chest. The force of the impact pushed Noodle away from her friend; she rolled backwards until her back and her head hit Little Simz's truck.

The dark demon creature shot up into the air, rising high above the city. The smoke around him coated the sky, and the stars soon disappeared behind layers of thick, ominous cloud.

The demon disappeared above the clouds. The ground was silent.

Noodle groaned, the metal of the truck grinding against her sore back. Her head was spinning. She raised a hand to her scalp and grimaced as a sensation of dizziness and confusion washed over her. She jumped when a hand came to rest on her shoulder; looking up, she saw Murdoc's eyes skimming over her, checking for any obvious injuries while Russel loomed behind him, and Little Simz and Charlene peered around them.

"You okay?" Murdoc grunted.

Noodle took a deep breath as her mind settled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit dazed."

She could hear the distant noise of zombies groaning; most of them had probably given the glowing cloud of smoke a wide berth, but they would become curious soon and decide to explore the site.

Another groan sounded, this one very close by. Noodle heard Russel gasp, and Murdoc's head jerked towards 2D's body- _2D!_

Noodle scrambled to her feet and ran to kneel beside the stirring singer. "2D? Can you hear me? Are you feeling all right?"

2D slowly opened his eyes which, thankfully, had returned to their typical blackened state. However, Noodle became increasingly unnerved as he failed to meet her gaze. She could see his eyes rolling back and forth, his gaze sliding over his surroundings without stopping to take anything in, as if he couldn't see her or any of the bandmates who were forming a small crowd around him.

"Toochie, can you see me? Can you see anything?"

He gave no indication of having heard her query. His eyes continued to roam blankly, surveying everything and nothing all at once. His jaw dropped open slightly. Noodle leaned forward to hear a soft murmur escape his lips:

"Noodle? A-are you there? Noods?"

"I'm here, Toochie," Noodle soothed, laying one hand on his chest. He didn't seem to hear her.

"Noodle?" he rasped, slightly louder this time, and he slowly began to roll onto his side. Noodle's hand fell away as he slid out of her reach, pushing himself onto his hands and knees. He lifted his head, scanning his surroundings without really seeming to see them, until his eyes focused on one spot of ground. Noodle tilted her head, confused. _What's he staring at? Why can't he see us?_

2D began to crawl towards the patch of ground he had set his eyes upon, muttering as he went, "Noodle… Okay… Have to… Please…"

Noodle approached him as her bandmates watched silently. She stopped beside the singer and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, restraining him. "2D, what's going on in your head? What are you seeing?"

The hand on his shoulder was distressing 2D. He began to tremble, his arms quivering and his head shaking from side to side. "No… Let me go… Have to get to Noodle… Let me… please… LET ME GO!" 2D cried out, desperate tears forming in his eyes. Noodle yanked her hand away as if she had been burned.

2D crawled faster towards that patch of dirt, then stopped. He raised one hand, moving it forward as if to touch something only he could see. His head bowed.

"No… No, Noodle… Noodle… My fault… It's all my fault… She's… NO!" 2D raised his head and howled the last word, his face stricken with an expression of pure agony.

"Toochie!" Noodle shouted, rushing forward and kneeling in front of the singer. "Tell me what's wrong! I can help you!"

"Dead, she's… Oh, Noodle… No no no!" 2D choked out the words between heavy, rasping breaths as he gripped his head in his hands, digging his nails into his scalp. "It's all my f-fault! I k-killed her! She's… she's… NOODLE'S DEAD!"

A chill ran up her spine when Noodle heard those words. She gripped her bandmate's shoulders, shaking him a little more roughly than she had meant to. "Toochie, I'm right here! Look at me! I'm fine!"

The singer heard none of it. From the expression on his face, you'd think his soul was being torn to pieces. He dragged his nails down his scalp; Noodle could see bloody trails welling up in their tracks. She gripped his wrists, desperate to stop their gruesome progress, and found herself screaming in the singer's face. "Stuart Pot, I need you to stop this! Look at me! Listen to me!"

Then Murdoc and Russel were on either side of 2D, trying to get through to him.

"Listen to Noodle, Faceache! Use your sodding brain!"

"Man, you gotta snap outa this! I know your eyes are messed up, but you ain't blind!"

Nothing got through to the singer who continued to choke and sob, his whole body wracking with the agony of his grief. He looked like he could die for sorrow…

Noodle's blood turned to ice as she remembered the words of the demon. _The next five minutes shall be his last… He shall die in an agony thrice as potent as my own…_

2D's body convulsed. His head snapped backwards and his arms and legs flew out in a sudden, strong jerk. Noodle's eyes went wide. "Guys, back off! I think he's having a seizure!"

"Shouldn't we try to hold him down or something?" Murdoc asked, an edge of panic creeping into his voice.

"No, that could hurt him!" Noodle responded, backing up as her bandmates did likewise. She watched 2D as he continued to twitch violently, his body wildly jerking and flailing, his neck and torso twisting into grotesque angles. His movements only seemed to be getting worse.

Noodle slowly approached 2D's head and, crouching down, carefully placed a hand beneath his shaking jawline. She shivered. _His pulse is racing… It's way too fast…_ Her thoughts raced desperately. _What can I do to help? Should I just wait for the seizure to stop? But the demon said he would die… I can't lose him like this!_ She looked into his pain-filled eyes and heard his short shrieks and whimpers. _He's being tortured psychologically… If I can get him out of this trance, let him know that everything's okay, that I'm okay, he should stop hurting._ Gently, Noodle placed a hand on either side of 2D's head, not restricting its movement, but allowing her to bring her lips to his ear without their skulls smashing together. An image of her and 2D standing on the porch of the Spirit House after seeing blood on the walls invaded her mind; she had failed to talk him out of his fear then, how could she hope to succeed now? Noodle tried to shake the image out of her head, focusing instead on the times she had helped successfully, like when he would wake crying from nightmares, or when he got frightened by the raccoon…

Noodle took a deep breath and began to whisper softly into his ear.

"Hey, Toochie, it's Noodle. Stuart, I'm right here. I'm right beside you. The demon's not in you anymore; we got it out, just like I promised. You're free. Everyone's okay, we just need you to calm down. Calm down, Toochie."

His head jerked between her hands. He let out a harsh cry as his body writhed with severe spasms.

"Shhh, Toochie, shhh… It's okay… You don't have to be scared or sad. I'm right here. I'm right here."

She continued to whisper soft consolations into his ear. His head jerked, but this time, there was something controlled about the way he moved, as if he were angling to hear her better. Hope sprung in Noodle's chest as tears welled in her eyes.

"That's right, Toochie; it's okay. Noodle's here. I'm right here by your side, and I'm not going anywhere."

2D shuddered, his spasms growing weak. His left arm twitched briefly; his right leg kicked. Then he went still.

A long breath escaped his lips.

Noodle pulled her mouth away from his ear so that she could get a better look at his face. "2D? Toochie, are you awake?"

Black eyes opened, blinked.

"Look at me, Toochie. Tell me if you're okay."

His eyes slid towards her. They widened. "N-n-noodle?"

Noodle smiled. "That's right, Toochie; I'm right-"

"NOODLE!" 2D cried out her name as if it were a line from his favorite song. He flung himself towards her.

Noodle was expecting a hug.

She was not expecting his hands to clasp either side of her face, his pinkie fingers sliding beneath her jaw, as he brought his lips to hers and kissed her.

. . .

 **Action, zombies, psychological torment, romance! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! (BTW, I've never seen a seizure before, so sorry if my description was completely inaccurate)**

 **Coming up next: 2D has just kissed Noodle. In front of the rest of the band. So much for being confused about his feelings! Now that the cat's out of the bag, how will Noodle react? How exactly is Russel going to attempt to murder 2D? Oh, and they are still in an apocalyptic city full of zombies. What will they do next?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Taking Back the Spirit House: Part 1**

 _ **Disclaimer: See chapter 1**_

 **Warning: This chapter begins with a flashback to 2D's perspective during parts of his possession and the end of the last chapter. What he thinks he sees after the demon leaves his body is gruesome, so if gruesome descriptions make you feel ill/uncomfortable, you might want to skip ahead. If you want to skip the flashback, I'm putting five empty lines after that section is over; you can start after those.**

It was dark in his being – in this part of it, anyway – tucked far away from the smiles and sunshine of the outside world. He had been pushed to the deepest corner of himself, shoved aside by the demonic spirit which had spread itself through his body, commandeering his arms and legs, his vision, his very mind. He could feel it pushing at him still, trying to make him smaller, to push him into nothingness. 2D wasn't strong enough to push back.

But a thought kept him from being entirely pushed away…

The corridor. He remembered stirring when the pressure around him had eased, seeing a light in the distance, stumbling to his feet despite the sense that something was trying to pull him back. Hope kept him striding forward, slowly at first, but picking up speed as the light grew brighter, nearer. Soon, he was running. The light was larger; it was a rectangle, it was a doorway-

It was _him,_ the demon who had infected 2D's mind, making his way towards another doorway, a new conquest. And on the ground had been _her._ He had then understood where the demon was going, what the demon was doing, and 2D's soul had flared with panic and rage. He charged. He took the spirit down. The force pulled them both back into his mind as he begged Noodle not to share his fate. Slowly, she began to disappear from view…

But not before she could make him a promise. The promise which was all he had left. It was his last hope, his only hope. It was small, probably futile, but coming from Noodle's lips, it was enough. He held on.

If only he'd had the time to tell her what he had discovered in the deepest part of himself, in the most hidden, most unshakeable part of his heart…

. . .

The pressure was gone. So was the demon. He didn't know when it happened or how; all he knew was that he could feel his fingers, move them even, that he was in control of the breaths passing through his lungs, that there was hard, gritty ground pressed against his back and the air smelled like sulfur.

He opened his eyes. _Where am I?_

The world around him was not coming into focus; it was all a meaningless swirl of black and gray. 2D allowed his eyes to follow the hectic shapes for a minute, hoping that some of them would begin to make sense, but to no avail.

 _Noodle… She was the one who promised to get that thing out of my head, she must be around here somewhere. "_ Noodle? A-are you there? Noods?"

There were voices buzzing through the air around him, but he couldn't make sense out of them. He felt as if his head were surrounded by old, fuzzy radios, each one broadcasting the tune of a different warped, scratchy record. It almost hurt to listen.

 _I won't find Noodle laying on my back,_ 2D thought, rolling onto his hands and knees. His head spun; 2D paused for a moment to allow his woozy thoughts to settle before lifting his head to look around.

Dark blurs whirred through his field of vision, making him feel dizzy. Amongst the blurs, just a few meters away, was the fuzzy outline of a discernible shape- a human shape- laying across the ground as he had been moments ago. _Could it be…_ "Noodle?"

The shape didn't respond, phasing in and out of focus as 2D stared. He began to crawl towards it, ignoring the way his hands grated against the harsh asphalt. "Noodle? Is that you? Are you okay?"

As he crawled closer, features became clearer: unruly black hair, the back of a torn striped shirt, and a small, slim frame which he, despite his awful memory, would recognize anywhere. _I have to get to her!_ "Noodle, please be okay, please be okay…"

He tried to crawl faster towards her, the need to make sure she was alright screaming in his mind, but he found that he couldn't move. Something was holding him back. He could feel it clamped over his shoulder, could hear its warped voice hissing into his ear. 2D struggled, desperate to move closer to his friend's still form, but this terrible force continued to hold him back, content to let him watch as his friend lay unmoving on the ground without any reassurance of her wellbeing. "No! Let me go, let me go! I have to get to Noodle!" 2D cried desperately. "NOODLE! LET ME GO TO HER! LET ME GO!"

Finally, the force - which had apparently had its fill of fun teasing him - released 2D, allowing him to scuttle painfully over the remaining distance and arrive at the side of his friend. He reached out to her, turned her over, and was at last able to see her face-

Except there was no face. There was only blood.

2D's breath caught. His heart skipped a beat. His mind went numb. "No…"

Everything- her face, her arms, chest, stomach, legs- was mangled, torn, sliced open. Her skin- what was left of it- was dyed red with blood. Horrific injuries revealed pink sinew, organs, and glistening bones. 2D wanted to look away. He couldn't.

"Noodle… No… No, no no…"

She was dead, and clearly, she had died painfully.

 _Why… Why her?_ 2D's thoughts stammered. _Why would this happen to her?_

Then he remembered Noodle's promise. She had vowed to get the demon out of him, and apparently succeeded. Naturally, the demon would have been angry… _Oh no…_

"It's my fault," 2D whispered under his breath, staring down into the empty sockets where her sparkling green eyes had once dwelled. _This happened to her while she was helping me… Because I let her make that promise… Because I was too weak to fight of the demon myself… Too stupid… Too useless… And now… Now…_

It was too much for him. He screamed.

He didn't even know what words he was screaming, trying to vent some of the pain bursting inside of him, pain like his bones had turned into flaming knives, like his heart had exploded. It radiated outward from his chest, tearing through his raw throat, flooding his veins with electric poison.

The voices were back, and the restraining forces as well, taunting him, surrounding him with their shrill clamor, locking onto his limbs and pulling him too and fro. It hardly mattered. He could barely hear them over his own pained shrieks, could barely feel them over the sensation of every cell in his body bursting into flames of grief.

Eventually, he lost control of his limbs entirely. Everything was jerking and writhing, his heartbeat thrummed at a velocity comparable to that of a speeding train. If it continued at that rate, it would surely burst, and he would die. This didn't worry 2D too much. At this point, he wasn't too fussed about living anymore.

2D's thoughts never left the mangled corpse in front of him. _I just wish I could've told her…_ A flash of hope sprung into 2D's mind. _Maybe… When I die… She'll be there!_ Through his pain, that thought crystalized into a shining light; something to make the agony worth it. _I'll find her, in death if I have too… I have to find her!_

He listened. He listened because that's how he always found her in times like this, when he was in pain. Whether it was a nightmare, a daydream, a panic attack, whatever, an angelic voice always came to take the bad stuff away. Her voice.

It didn't want him to listen. Angry buzzing filled his mind; the voices told him to give up, that she was gone and it was his fault, that in the afterlife, she wouldn't wait up for an idiot like him, the idiot who had gotten her killed.

2D knew better. She was always there, no matter what.

He could hear her.

Soft tones, cutting through the angry buzz. Consoling words. His name, her name. A phrase…

"I'm right here by your side, and I'm not going anywhere."

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Then he could see her. Alive, whole, smiling. And once more, he couldn't control himself.

"NOODLE!"

His hands were on her face, pressing into her warm, living skin. He pulled himself closer, pulled her closer, latching onto his lifeline. He _needed_ this.

His fingers slid under her jaw, feeling her fast pulse, her supple skin.

Her eyes were shining.

Her lips were soft.

He dove into her, kissing her deeply, reveling in her warmth as he swept his tongue over her lips, pushing himself through as she let out a surprised gasp, tracing the roof of her mouth, pushing her closer to him as his fingers tangled into her hair and slid behind her back.

 _She's here… she's okay… Noodle, my Noodle…_ 2D made a noise somewhere between a moan and a purr as he crushed her into his chest. He tilted his head, rubbing his nose against her cheekbone as he pressed her mouth harder into his. One of his hands ran across the side of her face and her hair while the other caressed up and down her back. He had to _feel_ her there, to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming, that he finally had Noodle safe in his arms-

A strong force yanked him by the back of his shirt collar into the air. Breathing heavily and confused, 2D blinked at the man who was angrily staring him down while lifting him into the air. Then the singer smiled, a sort of dopey, very 2D-ish smile.

"Oh, hey, Russ!"

"'D, WHAT THE HECK, MAN?"

2D continued to smile dumbly, high on the knowledge that Noodle was alive. He could hear Murdoc somewhere behind them howling with laughter. "Hahaha! I knew the dullard would get there eventually! _And look at her face!_ Ha!"

2D tipped his head sideways, peering around Russel towards the guitarist who was staring up at them with wide eyes and her mouth hanging slightly open. Come to think of it, she hadn't really moved at all since he'd placed his lips on hers… _Oh well. She's alive, and okay, and that's all that matters right now._

2D was so happy that he barely noticed Russel jerking him back and forth by his shirt collar, shouting into his face. "ONE MOMENT YOU'RE HAVING A SEIZURE, THE NEXT YOU'RE TRYING TO CHEW THE FACE OFF OF MY BABY-GIRL? NUH-UH, MAN! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! I'M GONNA MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D BEEN KILLED BY THAT DEMON! IMMA TEACH YOU TO KEEP YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFFA MY SWEET, INNOCENT-"

"RUSSEL!" Noodle had snapped out of her trance and was on her feet, staring down the drummer. Russel turned towards her, standing at an angle which gave 2D a clear view of her face as well. She wore a cryptic, unreadable expression; a smarter man than 2D wouldn't have been able to figure out what she was thinking in that moment. 2D hummed happily. _She's so cool when she's being mysterious…_

"Russel, put him down. 2D has just had a traumatic experience, and he needs rest."

" _He's_ had a traumatic experience?" Russel exploded. "You just got slobbered on by a half-dead lunatic! _Watching_ was a traumatic experience!"

Noodle's eyes narrowed in a very serious manner. _She's so attractive when she's serious…_ "This matter is between 2D and myself. Thank you for your concern, Russel, but I am perfectly capable of handling what just happened without your help. I'll be having a serious talk with 2D later. _Alone._ But now, he needs rest, and we need to get somewhere safe."

Russel grumbled before releasing his fist and allowing 2D to drop to the ground. 2D's smile didn't waver as the drummer muttered, "She better beat you up later. Hey, what are you laughing at, pickle-face?"

Murdoc, who had been chuckling in a quiet, restrained fashion, burst into fresh peals of laughter, one of his eyes spinning in crazy circles. Noodle rolled her eyes. She turned to the two members of their group who had remained silent through Russel's tirade. "Charlene, Simz, are you both okay?"

Little Simz blinked, looking from the chronically laughing bassist to the spread-eagled, still smiling singer with concern. "Umm… Yeah…"

Charlene looked almost as if she wanted to start laughing with Murdoc. "Yes, I'm quite alright, dear. But where exactly are we going to find safety?"

Noodle swiveled her head like a satellite dish, tracking the noise of the approaching zombies. "Nowhere in this city. That demon really hates us, so we need to lie low. Charlene, is there anything in particular you need so that you can make more sleeping powder?"

"There's a special type of candle I need, but they're very hard to find," Charlene responded, her face falling. "You can't just go to the next city's Walmart and ask for a double-sided spirit candle, capable of separating light from dark power as the ends are burned- "

"Oh, I've got tons of those," Murdoc said dismissively. "Once you find a good dealer, they're pretty cheap. Mine are back at the Spirit House, though."

Noodle nodded slowly, her expression grim. "Then that's where we need to go. Saturnz Barz is on the outskirts of the city; it's got food, beds, and the candles we need, so it'll be an ideal home base once we've cleared out the zombies." She marched to her bike, dusted of the seat and angled it towards the dirt slope leading out of the pit. She threw a leg over the bike before turning back to her bandmates with a determined glint in her eyes. "Let's go. We're taking back the Spirit House."

. . .

2D wasn't very comfortable crammed next to Russel in the bed of Little Simz's truck as it pitched and jumped over potholes and the bodies of the zombies they ran over. He would have liked to be riding with Noodle on her super-cool motorcycle, but Russel had insisted that since 2D "needed rest," he ought to lay down in the truck bed with him. The drummer currently wasn't doing much talking, preferring to sit silently and glare at 2D.

Despite the bumpy ride, 2D smiled. He was happy to be back in his own body and relieved to find his bandmates alive and well. However, there were a few points of concern nagging in the back of his mind.

First off, they were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Second, they were going towards the house where this whole mess started.

Third, Noodle hadn't kissed him back.

2D couldn't very well focus on all of these points at once, so he decided to go with the third.

 _I guess I sorta surprised her,_ 2D thought, recalling the look of dazed shock on Noodle's face after the event. _Maybe she just didn't have time to react. But… What if… What if she hates me? This zombie thing is apparently my fault, and I did get her killed- oh, wait, that bit was a hallucination. But I let the bad spirit out of the piano, so she's probably mad at me._ 2D's brow furrowed, his smile sinking into a frown. _I wonder how mad she is at me? She didn't kick me or punch me in the face- that's more of a Murdoc thing to do, I guess- and she didn't shove me away- but that could've been because she was in shock. She told Russel that we would be having a "serious talk" later. Is she going to tell me to stay away from her?_

2D's thoughts continued along their stormy path as the truck fled the city center, roaring past suburban houses until the group found themselves on the fringe of town, having left most of the zombies behind.

The truck shuddered to a stop. 2D raised his head to see the Spirit House looming ominously just across the road. Lowering his eyes, he felt sick as memories rushed through his mind: being tormented by spirits, hearing the voice, being possessed…

2D swallowed his fear. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stare brazenly at the house. _It was my weakness- my fear- that got us into this mess. I have to be brave now. I have to!_

The singer climbed out of the truck bed after Russel, trying to ignore the way his legs shook underneath him. Little Simz and Charlene were exiting the truck as well, and a few feet away, Noodle and Murdoc dismounted the bike. They all approached each other, making a circle on the lawn of the Spirit House. 2D found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with Russel and Noodle.

"We need to make a plan for getting into the house," Russel started. "Noodle-girl, what state was the house in when you left?"

"There were zombies in the basement. I closed the door on them, but they've probably spread out by now," Noodle replied. "Also, the two spirits were there. I expect they'll still be around when we go in."

"Powder lady, ya got any more of that stuff you messed up 2D with?" Murdoc asked, turning to Charlene.

Charlene, who looked somewhat offended at being called "powder lady," huffed, "no. I only grabbed a handful of the unfinished formula before leaving my house. I honestly didn't think it would be very useful, and the rest of the batch has probably spoiled by now anyway."

Murdoc grumbled. "That would've been a fun way to take down those two gits."

"Is- is there anything else we can d-do to get rid of the s-spirits?" 2D stammered, trying (and failing) to keep the fear out of his voice.

"I think I've got something that could work," Murdoc responded. "I've got a recipe for a quick-start hellhole, but it would take me a few minutes to set up. We would need to clear a path to my room for me to reach my supplies. Once it gets up, we'd have about a minute to lure the spirits through."

"We can work with that," Noodle said. "We'll need to find an effective way to cut through the zombies, though. I know you guys aren't as good at hand-to-hand combat as I am, and I think there's about 30 of them in there right now."

The group went silent, thoughtful expressions on their faces. 2D glanced around the circle and noticed Little Simz staring down the road with a confused look in her eyes. The rapper spoke, "Hey, did anyone order a package?"

The band looked up at Simz then followed her gaze down the road. Distant but growing steadily larger, a blocky Fed-Ex truck was barreling towards them. 2D could see a metal trailer hooked onto the truck's back end; it was about as tall as he was, and roughly four meters long. They watched as the truck mounted the curb and rolled onto the grass before jolting to a sudden stop. A very harassed looking man leaped out of the front seat and approached the group.

"I'm looking for a Stuart Pot?" The man said, glancing around the circle. Surprised, 2D stepped forward slowly, wringing his hands and feeling the eyes of his bandmates on him as he approached the man.

"Sign here, please."

2D accepted a pen from the man and quickly scribbled his name onto an official-looking form. The man then turned away, walking to the back of the truck and detaching the trailer. He then returned to 2D, pulled a postcard and a key out of his pocket, and handed both to the singer, who accepted them with a very confused look on his face. As the man stomped back to the driver's seat, 2D heard him mutter, "I'm never coming anywhere near this town again." Soon the truck was gone, leaving 2D with the mysterious trailer, key, and postcard.

The group stood in silence, watching 2D as he glanced between the postcard and the trailer. Murdoc was the first to break the quiet. "Dullard, whatever this order is, it had better not turn up on _my_ credit card bill."

"B-but… I d-didn't order anything."

"Read the card," Noodle said. "It might contain an explanation."

2D looked down at the postcard. Something tingled in his memory when he saw the word "Lincolnshire" splayed across a picture of a historic-looking building. Turning the card over, 2D read the message out loud to his company.

"Dear 2D,

"I saw you in a celebrity magazine; there was an undercover reporter at a pancake restaurant you went to. She overheard you talking about evil beings in the house you're staying at. Henry, the mechanic I mentioned in my last postcard, has helped me gather a few tools you might be able to use if something tries to attack you. I hope this delivery reaches you before anything bad happens.

"By the way, Henry finished making that new head for me. We got creative with the eyes; my favorite pair is a set of deep-purple ones. Henry thinks they look great on me.

"Best wishes,

"Cyborg."

2D smiled. It was always nice to get a letter from a friend, and it was good to hear that Cyborg was doing well. It almost made him forget where he was and what he was doing.

"She sends you _postcards?"_ Murdoc raged. "I haven't heard a word from that ungrateful hunk of steel, and here she is, sending you cards and presents- "

"Shut up, Muds," Russel groaned. "Let's crack open this trailer. It sounds like there might be something useful inside."

The group walked to the back of the trailer. 2D arrived at the front of the group, facing a door held shut by a heavy-looking lock. "I think we need a key," 2D commented.

"Look in your hand, Faceache," Murdoc growled.

2D looked down. _Oh yeah- the delivery man gave me a key._ 2D slid the key smoothly into the lock and twisted. The lock popped open, and the doors began to creak, swinging open to reveal the trailer's contents.

2D stared with wide eyes.

Weapons lined the walls of the trailer: scythes, handguns, tommy guns, even a machine gun. The group filed into the small room, some of them ducking to get in, and surveyed the arsenal, occasionally reaching out to feel or pick up a shining weapon.

"Haven't held one of these in ages!" Murdoc said with a grudging smile as he lifted a wicked-looking scythe from its hanger.

"Yes, these will definitely be useful," Noodle said, admiring a tommy gun before turning to face the group. "Let's stick to the scythes for now; we don't want to blow the house to bits and we have to be able to decapitate the zombies."

The group murmured in assent as Murdoc passed the scythes around. As he looked at the shining silver blades, 2D was reminded of the band's early days, when they had to drive zombies out of Kong studios.

"Well, isn't this nostalgic," Murdoc said, surveying his band and their two guests as they regrouped on the lawn. "Powder lady, can you even swing that thing?"

"It's _Charlene,"_ she grumbled, "And I've got plenty of spunk left in me."

When Murdoc looked doubtful, Noodle chipped in, "She has a strong swing. I had to stop her from bashing 2D's head in with her cane when we first met."

Murdoc looked at the elderly woman with a new glimmer of respect in his eyes. "Impressive. It's good to know I only have to worry about _one_ invalid today." Murdoc threw a condescending glare towards 2D, who frowned.

"Hey, I'm not an invoh- ah- whatever you said! I can protect myself!"

"Says the idiot who got himself possessed, accidentally unleashed the zombie apocalypse, and is afraid of stupid, blubbery sea-mammals."

2D's face reddened, and he turned away from Murdoc with a huff. Murdoc wasn't the only one who was concerned; the present company were all glancing worriedly at 2D, pondering Murdoc's words.

"You know, D," Russel said, "Muds might have a point. You're not exactly the… most skilled… when it comes to… well… anything but singing, and you've already been through a lot today. Maybe you should sit this one out."

"Yeah, man," Little Simz chipped in. "I don't even know you, but the way your legs are shaking, it's a wonder you haven't already fallen over."

2D opened his mouth, about to protest, when Noodle spoke up. "2D." The singer looked down at his bandmate, taking in her stern expression with a sinking heart. "I need you to stay out here. We're not trying to offend you or make you feel bad. You shouldn't die needlessly, and I don't think you're in a fit state to take on zombies and spirits right now."

2D looked at the ground, shame burning inside of him. He wanted to be in there with them, to be by Noodle's side and help her however he could, to prove to her that he wasn't useless. 2D sighed. _How can I prove that I'm not useless when I am useless?"_

"Oh, don't feel bad, dear," Charlene consoled. "Tell you what. When this is all over, I'll make some cookies, whichever type you like best! How does that sound?"

2D didn't lift his gaze from the ground. The scythe he was holding slid out of his limp fingers, falling to the ground beside him with a soft _thud_. An awkward silence fell over the group. 2D could feel his bandmates' gazes piercing him, beholding his disgrace. Finally, Noodle spoke up.

"Okay. Russel, Charlene, I want you to work on clearing as many rooms as you can of zombies on the ground floor. When you're done, move on to the basement. Simz, Murdoc, and I will clear the way to Murdoc's room on the top floor. Once we get there, Simz can work on clearing the rooms on the top floor and I'll guard Murdoc while he makes the hellhole. When the spirits appear, lead them upstairs, but don't let them enter the room until the hellhole is ready. 2D, if anything gets out of the house, shout, and one of us will come and make sure everything's okay."

The group nodded. 2D watched as they approached the front door. As he sat in the grass next to his scythe, he heard them do a countdown before they flung open the door and rushed into the house, closing the door tightly behind themselves.

. . .

 **Aww, poor 2D is getting left out, and he thinks Noodle hates him. Maybe he'll do something to change the band's tune in the next chapter (hint hint, wink wink).**

 **Coming up next: The band fights for control over the Spirit House! Will their plan succeed? Will 2D thatch a grass bracelet while he waits for his bandmates to emerge? Find out next chapter! If you're excited, review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Taking Back the Spirit House, Part 2**

 _ **Disclaimer: See chapter 1**_

2D morosely picked at the grass, mindlessly weaving the pliant strands into bracelets. There wasn't much else for him to do, having been left out of the action unfolding in the house which loomed meters away from him.

The singer lifted his head. Straining his ears, he could hear shouting and whooping amongst the zombie-ish groans coming from the Spirit House; it sounded like the plan was going smoothly. Heck, it sounded like his bandmates were having _fun_. The singer frowned, tying a braided mass of grass around his wrist. Petty as it might be, he felt left out.

Lights appeared behind the second-floor windows; they had made it safely upstairs to Murdoc's room. 2D watched as a silhouette with a scythe appeared through the curtains, swinging before dashing out of view. The undead howls were growing fewer and fewer. Slowly but surely, the house became silent.

2D could hear his bandmates cheering. He thought he could hear high-fives as well. _Sounds like they've finished off all the zombies,_ 2D thought. Stretching and wiggling his toes in his shoes, 2D wondered if he should go ahead in or wait for someone to come out and fetch him.

The singer jumped when a burst of green light lit the whole house, pouring blindingly through the windows and seeping through the cracks in the wood. The windows shattered; shards of glass tinkled as they rained over the lawn. 2D raised an arm to protect his face as the smallest shards flew towards him, grazing his skin and leaving painful nicks in their wake. Wincing, 2D listened as a voice- Russel's, he thought- shouted, "Guys, watch out! They're putting themselves back together!"

His heart beating faster, 2D listened as terrible moans filled the air once more. Through the broken windows, sounds came to the singer much more clearly- shouts, thuds, warnings, shrieks, and an ear-splitting roar…

"Aw man, not _that_ thing again!" Russel's booming voice pierced the air. 2D gulped. The spirits must have arrived.

Shredding the grass nervously, the singer bit his lip, listening to his bandmates' battle cries. _I hope they're all right in there…_

"Why aren't these things dying anymore?" He heard Charlene cry.

"What the heck! There's a giant worm in here!" Little Simz exclaimed.

"Lead it in here! The hellhole's almost ready!" Murdoc hollered.

As he listened, 2D felt a tremble creep up his spine. He didn't feel left out anymore, or ashamed, or sad. He just felt scared. The moans of the undead weren't lessening as they had before, and his bandmates' calls were less excited and more frantic. He could hear the zombies and spirits crashing around, wreaking havoc, and definitely not dying, over the pounding of his frantic heartbeat. His fingers fisted into the grass as 2D tried to reassure himself.

 _I hope they're all okay… They're stronger than me, they have to be okay! Especially Noodle, she's the strongest of any of us!_ 2D squeezed his eyes shut and focussed on steadying his breathing. _They'll all be fine. Noodle will definitely be fi-_

"Ah! Let go, you stupid worm!"

 _Noodle._

2D's eyes snapped open.

In an instant he was on his feet, knuckles blanched white over the handle of his scythe. His worried thoughts went still. The singer focused on the shouts. He could hear frustration, panic, and desperation coming from his bandmates. Raucous, evil cackles signified the spirits' glee.

2D felt something rising within him, something powerful, something angry. This time, the feeling wasn't possessing him. It was him. His fear forgotten, 2D opened his mouth wide as a scream of rage ripped through his throat.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!"

He charged. Slamming into the front door with all his might, 2D took the impediment off its hinges, sending it crashing to the floor. With livid eyes, he absorbed the scene in front of him.

Charlene was backed into a corner, swinging her scythe madly to keep the zombies at bay. Just in front of the staircase, the many-armed spirit grinned as he held Russel in the air by his ankles. Zombies crowded around the drummer's head; he was barely able to keep them at bay with his weapon.

Letting loose a frightening caterwaul, 2D sprang forward, sweeping his scythe with such force that the spines of four surrounding zombies were severed. Before they had time to recover, 2D was past them. Using another zombie as a springboard, 2D leaped into the air, flying with his scythe outstretched towards the eye of the many-armed spirit. Blade met cornea, and the spirit howled, dropping Russel to the floor. Blinded, the spirit threw its arms out with rage, hoping to catch the singer, only to cry out once more as several of its arms were disembodied in the single swipe of the curved steel blade. Cringing, the spirit pulled its remaining arms back to its body, slithering backwards as the blade continued its assault. 2D hacked at the spirit like a madman, screaming all the while, "GET LOST! LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!"

The spirit fled up the stairway. 2D pursued.

Catching up to his target, 2D swung his scythe in a wide arc, removing two more arms. The singer's eyes had blanched white and were practically glowing as he snarled at the spirit who had tormented him and his friends. With a strength he never knew he had, 2D continued to hack at the spirit, giving no quarter and showing no mercy in his frenzied madness. The spirit screeched, slithering away blindly before barreling into a nearby room. Murdoc's room.

2D stormed the room in time to see the spirit race towards a gaping, swirling scarlet hole situated in the middle of the floor within the chalk outline of a very large, satanic-looking star. The whole room was bathed in the evil red glow of the portal.

Murdoc, who was attempting to fend off zombies with the rod of a broken scythe, looked up with a gasp as he saw the spirit charge forward, his grip tightening around his rod. His eyebrows jumped with surprise as the panicked spirit plunged willingly into the hellhole. He was even more surprised when he met eyes with the cause of the spirit's distress. Framed in the open doorway, 2D was an intimidating sight, with a bloody scythe in his hands and his murderous scowl dyed red in the light of the hellhole.

"Faceache? What're you doing in here?"

2D barely heard him. The singer turned towards the far side of the room, where a familiar guitarist was grappling with a large blue worm. The worm's body was marred with numerous cuts from Noodle's scythe, but it appeared to have lately gained the upper hand in their struggle. Its tail end was wrapped just under the blade of Noodle's scythe. The guitarist herself was attempting to both pull her weapon out of the spirit's grip and leap away from the front half of the worm as it tried to catch her in its coils.

2D screeched as he darted forward, swinging his scythe towards the worm's head. The spirit dodged, and 2D snarled angrily as his blade whistled through empty air. Using the momentum of his swing, 2D spun in a complete circle and aimed his blade once more towards the worm. The spirit dodged again, but this time, 2D let go of his scythe, allowing it to fly through the air and pierce the spirit's tail-end, just ahead of where it held the scythe. The spirit wailed as its tail spasmed jerkily, sending both scythes flying off and clattering together on the floor.

2D and Noodle raced towards their weapons, meeting eyes briefly before picking up their respective scythes and standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the worm, who hissed at them furiously.

"Quick, drive it to the hellhole!" Murdoc shouted towards them. "It won't last much longer!"

Without saying a word, the singer and the guitarist stepped apart, circling the worm in opposite directions until one was on either side of the creature. It glanced rapidly from side to side as the humans closed in, trying to pull its scarred body away from its attackers. 2D and Noodle began to slash at the worm, forcing it to back towards the hellhole.

The worm glanced towards the swirling red vortex, then back towards its attackers. It knew the jig was up; the zombies were distracted with the green human, and if it tried to attack one of its opponents, the other opponent would take advantage of its distraction and slice it in half. The worm turned towards the hole, pretending to give in, preparing to dive-

In the blink of an eye it swerved towards Noodle, catching her waist in its tail before diving headfirst into the hellhole.

Noodle shrieked as she was yanked off her feet, falling onto the ground. The worm, already halfway down the hole, pulled her forward swiftly. As she felt her feet go over the edge of the hole, Noodle swung her scythe into the floorboards, holding on desperately to keep from going over the edge. Nevertheless, the weight if the worm pulled her deeper. The scythe dragged through the wood, leaving an ugly gash as the blade crept closer to the edge. Noodle's hips went over, then her chest, then her arms-

Then 2D was standing over her, at the edge of the pit. His scythe flashed forward, severing the thick coils where they wound around her back. The worm fell away, but Noodle's stomach dropped as she felt the tip of her scythe clear the edge of the pit; she was falling-

She jerked to a stop; the blade of her scythe was caught on the blade of 2D's. With determination in his eyes and power no one would have expected him to have, 2D pulled upward on his scythe, raising it up until he could grab Noodle's scythe, then grab her hand, then pull her back over the edge.

2D collapsed backwards onto the wooden floor, Noodle falling on top of him. He panted heavily, his breaths pushing and pulling the hair of the guitarist who lay on his chest as it rapidly rose and fell. The red glow in the room flickered as the hellhole lost its power, shuddering before disappearing forever, taking the spirits with it. 2D heard several thuds…

"Yeah, and stay dead!" the singer heard Murdoc growl at the zombies, who had apparently lost their ability to recover after the spirits' departure.

2D didn't care much for the zombies. The angry haze began to fade from his mind, replaced by a desperate urge to hug the guitarist on his chest as tightly as he could manage. "Noodle," 2D whispered, sliding his arms over her back, pulling her closer to him. He buried his head into the crook of her neck as he continued to murmur softly, "Noodle, Noodle, Noodle…"

"It's alright, 2D, I'm fine," Noodle mumbled back, twitching in his arms. It occurred to 2D that Noodle might be somewhat uncomfortable with her face pressed into his shoulder and he reluctantly loosened his grip. Her palms on his chest, Noodle straightened her shoulders, rising slowly above him, and looked 2D in the eyes. 2D gazed back at her.

 _She's got that mysterious look again… I wish I knew what she was thinking…_ 2D continued to gaze at the guitarist, wanting nothing more than for her to sink back into his arms. He wouldn't mind if they hugged for the rest of the evening. However, to his dismay, she clambered off him, rising to her feet before offering him a hand up.

Taking the offered hand, 2D lifted himself off the ground. He rose unsteadily to his feet, only to sway backwards as a wave of exhaustion rolled through his body. Dimly, he felt Noodle prop herself under his shoulder as he struggled to breathe evenly, willing away the spots dancing before his eyes-

 _SLAM!_

In a moment 2D's dizziness was forgotten. Spinning to face the door, he dropped into a crouch, snarling as he took in the latest threat to his friend's safety-

"Woah, 'D! It's just me!" Russel exclaimed, holding his hands in front of him in a peacemaking stance. The bandmates looked on with concern as 2D stared blankly at Russel, his eyes sheet-white and his breathing heavy. A few tense moments passed, during which nobody moved, not wanting to set off the maddened singer. When the tension visibly left 2D's shoulders and his body began to droop towards the floor, the band collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Noodle rushed forward to catch 2D before he could tip over. Crouching still, he leaned into her as she soothed, "Hey, Toochie; we're all safe now. The spirits are gone, you can relax. You fought very well."

"I'll say!" Russel added. "Man, you nearly gave me a heart attack with your screechin' and slashin'! I almost thought you were possessed again!"

"Congratulations, Stuart; you're not as dull as I expected you to be!" Murdoc said with a grin and a hint of pride in his voice.

Despite the energy-drained fuzziness in his mind, 2D smiled. It was nice to hear Murdoc compliment him for once.

"Where's Simz? Didn't she come up here with you all?" Charlene asked, peering out from behind Russel to glance between Murdoc and Noodle.

"I heard her facing the worm-spirit before it came in here," Noodle replied, her brow furrowing with worry. "We should make sure she's okay. I think she was in 2D's room."

A murmur of agreement passed through the room. As his bandmates left the room, 2D began to rise from his crouch. His knees were still a little shaky from his recent exertion, but when he felt Noodle's arm wind warmly around his waist, he allowed her to haul him to his feet, and leaned onto her shoulder as he found his balance. Together, they stepped slowly towards the door.

2D's thoughts churned as the guitarist pulled him down the hallway towards his room. His mind was still reeling after the flood of emotions which had taken over him during his latest rampage. Wincing slightly at the throbbing of his overloaded brain, 2D tried to relax, focusing on the steady pressure of Noodle's arm around his waist and the warmth of her side pressed against him. It was stable, comforting. Under her influence, he soon found the clutter in his mind dissolving and his steps growing surer as they arrived at the entrance of his room.

Noodle stopped in her tracks, causing 2D to jerk to a stop beside her.

Their bandmates were clustered around Little Simz, who stood in the center of the room. She was rubbing the heels of her hands against her eyes as if they were irritated. When she lowered her hands, 2D shivered as he observed the glowing white hue of her eyes. He felt Noodle's arm tighten around his waist.

"Man, my eyes feel weird!" Little Simz complained, blinking forcefully.

"Your eyes are glowing," Russel replied.

"What, like yours?" Simz replied, confused. As Russel nodded, Charlene reached into her pocket and, after a bit of rustling around, pulled out a makeup compact. She handed it to Simz, who opened it, observed her reflection, and promptly dropped it. The compact hit the ground with a _crack._

"What the heck? What happened to my eyes?" Simz shouted.

"Can you tell us what happened before we came in?" Noodle inquired, tilting her head curiously. "Did the worm-spirit do anything to you before it left the room?"

"I'm not sure; I blacked out for a minute after… after…" Little Simz bowed her head thoughtfully. Having endured this struggle himself many times in the past, 2D could tell that she was trying to reach into her memory. _Hopefully,_ 2D thought, _she'll have a better memory than I do…_

Little Simz snapped her fingers, looking back up. "It lunged towards me, and its eye was glowing. I punched it in the eye, and then there was a bright flash of light… I was thrown into the wall. That's all I remember. When I woke back up, you guys were just about to enter this room"

Charlene was nodding her head sagely. "I think I've read about this. Contact, especially very forceful contact, with a spiritually charged object can result in an explosive transfer of power. You may have absorbed some of the worm's spiritual energy."

"Will it go away? I'd rather not have glowing eyes for the rest of my life. No offense, Russel." Little Simz dipped her head towards the drummer.

"Well," Murdoc growled, "the zombies lost their power when those two spirits disappeared, so those spirits must have been directly in control of those zombies. If the big spirit that possessed 2D was directly in charge of those two spirits, then we can expect that your eyes will keep glowing until the big spirit has been gotten rid of." Murdoc's bad eye rolled up and down, as if nodding in agreement with the statement.

2D cringed. It had been funny at first, but that eye was starting to make him feel queasy.

"That being said," Charlene chipped in, "We'd better start making a fresh batch of powder. If I get started right away, I could have it ready by dawn while you all get a bit of sleep."

"I'm going to need a room to sleep in," Said Little Simz.

"We haven't got an extra room," Murdoc said with a sly grin, "But I'm always willing to share my own bed."

Little Simz grimaced.

"Actually," Charlene interceded, "you should probably stay in this room with me. There aren't very many zombie corpses in this spot, and I need to be able to keep an eye on you, in case the spiritual energy has any unexpected side effects."

"That sounds good to me," Little Simz said, smiling at Charlene.

Murdoc turned away sulkily. "I'll go grab your bloody candles," he grumbled.

An uncomfortable thought suddenly occurred to 2D. "Hey… umm… if you guys are sleeping in my room, does that mean I have to share a bed with Murdoc?"

Silence.

Murdoc looked like he was about to explode.

2D bit his lip, wondering if he needed to run.

Russel, Charlene, Little Simz, and Noodle broke into fits of laughter.

"Just take a bloody couch, Dullard!" Murdoc hissed.

. . .

The moon glowed high overhead as 2D and his bandmates walked onto the lawn, dragging putrid corpses through the grass behind them. They tossed their loads onto a pile of bodies which had grown to the size of an SUV over the past half-hour of cleaning. As they stood back to admire their handiwork, Murdoc spoke.

"Alright, Noodle, the bodies are outside. Can I please go to sleep now?"

Noodle rolled her eyes. "Yes, Murdoc. And you can do so without the scent of decaying flesh creeping into your dreams."

"Whatever. I just want to get some shut-eye before the sodding powder is ready!"

The group trudged back into the house, and Russel locked the door securely behind them. 2D stretched, eyeing the hallway which led to their sitting room. _I hope sleeping on the couch doesn't give me a backache… I felt terrible after that time Murdoc made me sleep on the porch, with only outdoor chair cushions-_

"2D."

The singer turned towards Noodle. "Yes, love?"

"We still have to have that talk I mentioned earlier, just after your possession," Noodle said. "Come with me to the basement."

2D felt his gut twist. _Is she still mad at me? I mean, I did set off the zombie apocalypse, try to destroy everyone, and kiss her without her permission._ The singer fidgeted and glanced down at his toes, frowning. "Yes, Noodle."

Murdoc's vindictive chuckle pierced the air. "Ooh, he's really in for it now!"

"Man, stay out of it," Russel grumbled to Murdoc. "Their talk is none of your business."

Noodle tilted her head to the side, throwing Murdoc a sarcastic frown. "You know, Murdoc, it was really impolite of you to offer to share your bed with Little Simz but take away the offer when 2D was in need. Maybe I should escort him to your room once our talk is over. I could stick around for a while to make sure you share your bed and play nice. Maybe I'll even bring a camera, so that we can all remember how nice you can be to 2D when you try."

Murdoc shot Noodle a glare, one eye twitching venomously. "I'm going to bed. If 2D so much as walks up these stairs, I'm knocking him back down." Murdoc turned sharply and stomped up the stairs. Laughing softly, Russel followed, leaving 2D and Noodle in the foyer, alone.

2D glanced warily towards Noodle. The guitarist met his gaze calmly and, with a beckoning nod of her head, led the way down the basement staircase. His feet dragging, 2D followed.

The pair reached the bottom floor. 2D's shoulders sagged guiltily as they strode past the scattered remains of the exploded spirit piano. He listlessly kicked a solitary ivory piano key as Noodle opened the door to her room, flipped on a light switch, and waved for 2D to enter. He silently walked into the room, not making eye contact with the guitarist as she shut the door behind them.

2D stood awkwardly in the center of Noodle's room. The dim lamplight from her bedside table made visible a number of interesting boxes and items, but rather than observe his bandmate's room, 2D looked down, twiddling his fingers, allowing the tense silence of the room to wash over him. He could hear the door creak as Noodle leaned back against it, and imagined she was facing him. The singer gulped, steeling himself. _Well, I guess I'd better get this over with._ 2D cleared his throat nervously. "Umm, Noodle… I just wanted to tell you… that I'm sorry… really sorry… about… well… everything, really, that's happened today-"

"Stop."

2D's voice broke off. He nervously looked up at Noodle, taking in her serious expression and her deep green eyes. "2D, I don't want you to be sorry for anything. I am the one who should be sorry."

2D tilted his head to the side, confused. "What? I… I don't understand…"

"I left you here alone," Noodle continued. "I knew you weren't feeling well about this house. Charlene had just confirmed that there were seriously evil spirits here. But instead of waiting to make sure you got out of the house safely for the night, I sped off to the gym. I didn't think about you. I just left."

2D frowned, his head drooping. Hearing those words only made him feel guiltier about how he couldn't take care of himself. _It's like I'm an oversized child, forcing others to take care of me…_ The singer's shoulders sagged even lower with sorrow. "You shouldn't have to think about me. You should be free to do whatever you want. It's not your fault that I can't even protect my own brain from a stupid spirit. You were right not to wait for me."

"But you would have waited for me."

Noodle's words hung in the air. 2D stared at his friend, not knowing how to respond. Then Noodle continued.

"You have always waited for me. You were always waiting when I was little, so that you would be there when I needed someone to play with. You waited when you wrote songs, to hear what I had to say about them. You waited at Plastic Beach, hoping that Russel or I would rescue you. You waited when we came to this house for someone to take you concerns seriously. You even waited while you were possessed, ready to help me when I showed up and nearly got possessed myself. And just an hour ago, you waited outside, listening out for the band even after we left you out, and the moment I needed help, you were there."

"I wait for you because I'm helpless on my own!" 2D wailed, frustration and shame bursting from his voice.

" _No,_ you're _not._ " Noodle stated firmly, taking a step forward. She stared at him intensely. "Would a helpless man be able to do what you did today? Or survive years in the middle of the ocean with only Murdoc for company?"

"I got possessed and kidnapped. That sounds pretty helpless to me," spat 2D bitterly. He made no effort to fight back the wave of self-loathing that washed over him at the thought of what kind of pitiful person Noodle had to put up with in her life.

The voice that responded to his lament was gentle and sad. "2D, everyone needs help sometimes. It's not your fault that you ended up in those situations." 2D opened his eyes mournfully to meet his friends gaze. His lip trembled with sorrow at the undeserved care and emotion he could see in her face as she continued, "What matters the most is that, after all you've been through, you still hang on. Through all of your pain and fear, you wait, and I know that you don't do it for your own sake."

2D replied in a faint, small voice, "I've always had someone worth waiting for."

"Aren't you also a person worth waiting for?" Noodle suggested softly.

2D didn't respond immediately, instead vying to shrug and drop his gaze to his toes. He knew the answer, of course. He just hated being reminded. "No. I'm nothing special. I'm not smart like you, or a ninja like you." As the evidence of his flaws piled up in his mind, 2D felt the weight of his sorrow overcoming him, dragging his spirit down like a cold, heavy stone. "I have to take pills all of the time, and I still get headaches. I'm scared of whales. I can't even go to a beach without wanting to cry anymore. I've probably got more dents in my body than a golf ball by now, and Murdoc's right when he calls me a dullard." Despite the clammy coldness in his chest, 2D felt his eyes burning. Blinking away a hot tear, he finished in a small voice, "I don't deserve to have someone like you in my life."

The floorboards creaked. A hand under his chin gently forced 2D to stop staring at the floor and look instead into a pair of glistening green eyes. "Stop it, Toochie. You are a wonderful man. You're friendly, loyal, generous, and always there for the people you love. I wish I had half the loyalty you show to me."

2D sniffled, a tear creeping down his cheek as he faced his best friend. "But… But you are loyal! Whenever I need you, I know you'll be there, like when I'm having a nightmare, or when something else scares me. I never deserve it, but you're always there! You're always the one that helps me then!"

"What about today?" Noodle responded quickly. "You got possessed, and I wasn't there for you."

"But you were!" 2D cried insistently, his heart twisting and his tears falling quickly. "When the demon left my head, and I thought you… you were…" 2D's voice broke, and he shuddered. The singer took a deep breath, collecting his sorrowful thoughts before continuing, "It hurt so much. I thought I was going to die. I was ready to die. Then I thought about you, and I knew you would be waiting for me. I held on for you. And you were there. You're always there. I didn't wait because I was strong. I waited because I knew you could do what I could never do. And I… If I didn't have you…"

2D paused, his hands trembling. He could see the tear trails on her face as clearly as he could feel them on his own, as clearly as he could feel her thumb reach up to brush a tear off his cheek as she stepped close to him. "I'm lost without you," the singer finished with a whimper.

Noodle stared up at him, her eyes glistening. 2D didn't think he could handle seeing the sorrow in her eyes much longer. "I promise I'll always be there, Toochie," Noodle whispered. "And I promise you won't have to wait anymore."

 _Won't have to wait anymore?_ 2D's breathing hitched with panic. _Is she going to ask me to stop waiting for her?_ He shook his head, desperation creeping into his voice, "N-Noodle…"

Her hands were on either side of his face. They were warm. 2D's eye's widened. "Noodle..?"

"Yes, Toochie?" Noodle replied, leaning closer. Her hands pulled his face down slightly.

2D's eyes flickered between her own; he could see the reflection of his dumbstruck face staring back at him. His breathing hitched as he realized how close they were… How close her face was to his… How close their lips-

 _Oh._

2D gasped. "Noodle, I- I-" He stuttered, feeling his breath cloud the air between them. "I d-don't deserve you."

Noodle's brow furrowed. Their noses touched. "2D, never say that again."

Her face tilted into his. 2D shuddered briefly, then closed his eyes as she kissed him.

Her lips were soft and wet and warm as they pressed against his. She pulled back slightly, grazing her mouth against his before pressing into him again. The effect on him was spellbinding; he instinctively leaned down and forward into the kiss, unconsciously sliding his hands over her waist, up her back, into her hair, his fingers curling into the silky locks. He tilted his head and moaned softly as her hands slid down his neck, causing his hairs to stand on end. She wrapped her arms around him, just over his shoulders.

Their faces separated for a moment, hovering an inch apart, breathing heavily. Opening his eyes, 2D gazed needily down at Noodle, his grip firm and desperate.

"I love you, Toochie," She whispered, her green eyes shining.

2D's voice cracked with emotion as he responded, "I love you too."

Their lips crashed back together. 2D opened his mouth and Noodle returned the gesture; the singer relished the feeling as their tongues slid roughly against each other, a purr rumbling in his chest as her taste filled his mouth. Their bodies pressed together, their embrace tight and unrelenting. As the bandmates curled snugly around each other, their mouths molding together feverishly, 2D lost sight of his sorrow. The cold pallor in 2D's mind gave way to something bright and warm and passionate that made him feel as if he were full of blazing sunshine. The tears were still rolling down his face, but now they were accompanied by different feelings; affection, love, and radiant joy.

As they broke apart to take a gasping breath, 2D found himself laughing, softly at first, then loudly, breathlessly as he held her close to him, halting his laughter occasionally to kiss her chin, her forehead, her cheeks, her neck. "I love you," he said cherishingly, pressing his lips against her left ear and feeling her smile grow before repeating the phrase. "I love you!" he kissed her right ear. "I love you!" he kissed her nose. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Then Noodle was laughing with him, matching his joyful euphoria as his rapid kisses fell upon her, grazing her neck and leaving warm sunbursts all over her face. She squealed a moment later when 2D picked her up and spun her around, twirling her in fast, tight circles.

They spun until 2D was dizzy, then he set her down, leaning against her, each one of them clinging to the other as the room swayed around them. 2D panted breathlessly as he hugged her snugly, feeling her arms wrapped securely around his waist. At that moment, he was probably the happiest man on earth.

"Thank you," he whispered under his breath, burying his face in Noodle's hair. "Thank you _so_ much."

"What for, Toochie?" Noodle hummed.

"For loving me back," 2D responded, his voice quavering.

Then her palms were on his chest, pushing him back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. "Toochie, you don't need to thank me for my love. This is my heart thanking you for being all that you are. You are a wonderful man. I will always be here for you, and I will always love you."

2D smiled, another tear slipping from the corner of his eye. Noodle tenderly brushed it away. "Come on, 2D. Let's get some sleep."

She led him back towards her bed, and they collapsed onto the mattress. The moment his side hit the cushions, 2D realized just how tired he was; being possessed and fighting zombies had taken a lot out of him. Noodle pulled a large, soft blanket over them, then reached over 2D to twist a knob on her lamp which promptly cast the room into darkness.

2D snuggled against the guitarist, tucking her into his chest as he closed his eyes. He grinned sleepily as he felt her head come to rest in the curve of his neck. His hand found hers, their fingers intertwined, and he let the steady beat of her pulse and the soothing rhythm of her breathing lull him to sleep.

. . .

 **FEELS! Hope their professions of love didn't come off too cheesy!**

 **Coming Up Next: The Gorillaz (+Little Simz) vs. the Zombie Apocalypse! (Yes, the upcoming chapter is based off Garage Palace). Can our heroes fight through the zombies and defeat the evil demon spirit thingy? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **BTW, we are entering the FINAL 3 CHAPTERS OF THIS STORY! 2 more to finish the plot, then 1 for an epilogue. HYPE!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Taking Back the City, Part 1**

 _ **Disclaimer: see chapter one**_

 **This is a long chapter, so get comfortable.**

 **. . .**

Noodle woke up slowly, releasing a soft sigh as the fuzziness of sleep cleared from her mind. Her lips curved into a contented smile as she felt familiar arms wrapped around her, encircling her snugly in their warmth and comfort. She snuggled deeper into the man's chest, allowing herself to relax in his embrace.

The basement room was dark, but Noodle could hear footsteps creaking overhead as her bandmates woke. _It must be morning,_ she thought. _I'd better wake up 2D so that we can grab some breakfast._

The guitarist began to squirm out of her companion's grip. Noodle heard a sleepy whimper as she shifted away from the singer; she was almost out of his reach when his fingers closed around her wrist. Squinting through the darkness, Noodle could barely make out 2D's eyes as they cracked open, could barely see his lips twitch as he murmured, "Don't go… stay… wanna sleep…"

"It's morning, Toochie," Noodle replied in a hushed voice. "Russel will be making breakfast soon. You have to get up."

"Mmhnnuhhh…" 2D groaned unintelligibly, shaking his head. "No… jus' wanna sleep… don' make me get up…"

Noodle tilted her head to the side, observing her reluctant bandmate as his eyes began to close again, his fingers still secured tightly around her wrist. She was still for a few seconds, deep in thought, before a smirk crossed her lips.

The guitarist rolled close to the singer once more. She reached over him and turned on her bedside lamp. The light was dim, but it was enough for Noodle to admire his tousled blue hair, his lidded, sleepy eyes, and his mouth, which was slightly ajar as sleepy breaths passed over his lips. Smiling, she leaned over his face, closing her eyes as her lips molded over his. She felt him tense as she began to kiss him. One of her palms pressed his shoulder into the mattress so that she could balance over him. The tension quickly left 2D as he eagerly responded, moving his lips under hers, moaning as she nipped his lower lip playfully. She felt him raise his arm, lifting it as if he were about to grab her waist-

She rolled away, breaking 2D's grip on her wrist as she hopped out of bed and stood smiling a few feet away. 2D whined, angling his face to pout up at her. "Hey, where ah' you going? We- we were-"

"Like I said, it's time to get up," Noodle said sweetly.

"But-"

"If you want me, come and get me."

Noodle almost laughed at the wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression on her confused friend's face. 2D snapped his jaw shut, frowning, then narrowed his eyes. Noodle raised an eyebrow, as if to challenge him. 2D responded by rolling onto his belly, then raising himself up until he was crouched like a cat about to pounce. 2D growled, not a scary growl, but a playful growl, the edges of his mouth curving into a slight smile. Noodle grinned slyly back, watching him wiggle his shoulders (in a way which was quite adorable) before he sprung towards her.

Noodle sidestepped him easily. Caught in the momentum of his own charge, the singer barely twisted himself around in time to prevent his face from slamming into the wall. His back hit the wall with a soft thud, and the singer braced his hands against the wall as he wobbled dizzily on his feet.

Noodle approached the disoriented singer, and in an instant had him pinned to the wall by his wrists. "Poor Toochie," the guitarist purred, leaning close to her captive. "You always get so dizzy when you stand up too quickly." She brought her lips to his neck and heard his breathing hitch as she tenderly kissed the area. Noddle pressed into the juncture between his neck and his shoulder, then grazed her teeth up along 2D's throat until she was forcing his head back while she licked just below his jawbone. Noodle felt the singer shiver in her grip. She took her hands off his wrists, stepping forward to trap him against the wall with her own body so that she could wind her fingers into his hair and pull his face down to hers. He responded to her actions passionately, tilting his head so that their faces could press closer together, sweeping his tongue over her lips and allowing her tongue to brush his as it did the same. Noodle's mouth opened as his tongue pushed past her teeth; she felt his arms leaving the wall, preparing to wrap themselves around her shoulders-

The guitarist stepped backwards. She smiled deviously as 2D gaped, gasping, his tongue hanging outside his mouth and his arms wrapped around empty air. "Well, now that you're awake," Noodle teased, watching the singer's arms drop limply to his sides, "I'm going to change. I'd recommend you grab your clothes from your room and do the same. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Wha…?" 2D breathed, still staring at her with dazed confusion.

"See you at breakfast, Toochie," Noodle said, turning to skip towards her bathroom. She took one last look at the befuddled singer leaning in shock against her bedroom wall before shutting the door.

. . .

It was with a very confused and disorganized mind that 2D exited the basement and walked with glazed eyes towards the staircase which would take him to his room. The singer was hardly aware of his surroundings; instead of seeing the Spirit House's eerie portraits or listening to the ominous creaking of the aged wooden floorboards his brain preferred to replay his latest encounter with Noodle. He couldn't shake the image of her sparkling eyes, her playful grin, her face inches away from his, getting closer-

"Morning, 'D."

"EEP!" 2D yelped as he jumped in startled shock. The singer twisted around to meet the bemused gaze of Russel, who was watching him through the open kitchen doorway with a hint of concern in his pale eyes.

"You okay there, 'D?"

2D released a long breath as he met the drummer's gaze. "Yeah…. Yeah, I'm fine… uh… Good morning to you too."

"You sure you're good?" Russel asked, flipping a pancake as he did so. "You look a little out of it. Has something happened since I saw you last night?"

 _Has something happened since you saw me last night?_ 2D thought, staring unblinkingly at Russel. _Well, Noodle and I cried a lot, talked about our worst qualities, reminded each other of our best qualities, confessed our feelings for each other, made out, slept in the same bed, made out some more in the morning-_

"Yo, 'D; you still in there?"

2D jumped once more. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I'm fine. Last night was fine. This morning was fine."

Russel gave him a disbelieving look. "Whatever, man. If you ever feel like telling me why everything's so _fine_ , I'm right here."

"Thanks, Russ," 2D murmured, walking quickly away from the kitchen door. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Russel's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask; how did you talk with Noodle go last night?"

Pretending he hadn't heard him, 2D ran up the stairs.

. . .

A shower and a change of clothes later, 2D joined his bandmates and Little Simz at the kitchen table. Storm clouds could be seen gathering past the window, leaking their dismal gray hues into the kitchen. Charlene, who had stayed up late making the sleeping powder, would be spending the rest of the day catching up on some shut-eye. However, 2D barely noticed her absence. He also barely noticed the plate of pancakes and eggs growing cold in front of him. He barely heard Murdoc and Simz talking about the effects of spiritual energy, which was now causing her chair to float a few inches off the ground and the occasional spark of blue fire to sprout from her fingertips. He barely noticed the way Russel kept glancing at him, as if the drummer knew something was up. 2D was, however, very sharply aware of Noodle's fingers, which had intertwined with his under the table while she used her other hand to eat scrambled eggs. Said guitarist turned towards him with a smile. "Eat up, 2D. your breakfast is going to get cold."

"Um… yeah…" 2D stammered, poking one of his pancaked mindlessly with a spoon. "Hey- ah- Noodle…" 2D became painfully conscious of the many faces at the table which flickered towards him curiously as he spoke. Even Murdoc was glaring at him. Lowering his voice, 2D faced Noodle and continued, "Is there- ah- a way, that we should tell… people…" 2D glanced nervously at his companions seated around the table. "Um… people we know… about stuff? Stuff that's happened- ah- recently? Like, intimate stuff?"

Most of the faces around the table looked confused. There were a couple of raised eyebrows. Noodle just smiled. "Well, if you kissed me in front of them, that would make it obvious enough."

Little Simz's eyebrows both went up. Russel choked briefly on a piece of pancake. Murdoc chuckled softly. 2D stared down at Noodle with wide eyes. "Well… yeah, I guess that's one way to do it-"

"Then again," Noodle continued, tilting her head to the side, "Russel did get a bit alarmed last time you kissed me. This time, I should probably kiss you."

"We- mmph!" Before 2D had time to properly react, there were hands fisted into his hair, a face crashing into his, an insistent pressure coaxing his mouth to open and drawing a long moan from his throat. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, trying to hold himself steady as his mind reeled. There was a sharp clatter, like silverware falling to the floor, and a loud, clear noise- _did Murdoc just wolf-whistle at us?_

The couple broke apart. After a few moments of dizzy gasping, 2D regained enough of his wits to observe Murdoc (who was clapping for the show he had just witnessed), Little Simz (who had gone back to eating her food rather than watch the pair make out), and Russel, whose left eyelid was twitching. 2D watched nervously as the large man picked up his glass of orange juice, raised it slowly, and took a long sip. "You know what?" The drummer said, staring at no one in particular as weary words escaped him. "I think I'm done trying to keep up with you people. As long as Noodle's okay with whatever is going on, I'm just going to stop caring whether or not the world makes sense."

"That's the spirit, Lards!" Murdoc cackled, tapping his own glass of orange juice against Russel's. 2D let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He felt a familiar weight leaning into his arm.

"That wasn't so hard, was it, Toochie?" Noodle cooed up at him, smiling brightly. 2D found himself smiling back.

"Yeah," 2D hummed, tilting his head to touch noses with the guitarist. "Maybe we should show people that we love each other more often."

"Okay, break it up, break it up!" Murdoc cried, waving his hands as if to shoe the couple apart. "As much as I love soaking in the happy ending of your little love predicament, we've got work to do! Someone needs to get famous for ridding this city of zombies and demonic spirits!"

Noodle sighed, pulling her face away from 2D's. "Murdoc's right, we need to start making plans. Finish your breakfast, 2D, then we'll go take a look at what we're dealing with."

. . .

There were a number of places 2D would rather be on a rainy day than standing on an exposed hilltop. Nevertheless, here he was, having taken a short drive from Saturnz Barz to stand with his bandmates under a slate-gray sky filled with rolling clouds and the occasional flash of lightning. The singer shivered, rubbing his hands over the wet goosebumps on his arms as he looked beyond the hilltop towards the eerily glowing city.

Most of the view was obscured by low clouds and fog. The older side of the city, which 2D knew was the side closest to them, was completely hidden, its low brick buildings sunken beneath the eerie mist. Further back, however, the downtown skyscrapers could be seen poking through the clouds like floating islands. One particular building towered high above the rest, soaring over the lowest layers of clouds until its top was lost in its own personal cloud of glowing energy.

"Clearly, there's something big at the top of that tower," Murdoc said, waving one hand towards the ominous structure while his other hand stroked a scythe he had brought with them for protection. "I'll bet that's where the spirit that possessed 2D is getting cozy."

"It's at the center of the city," "Little Simz chipped in. "We'll have to fight our way through however many zombies are in our way before we can face the big spirit."

Behind 2D, Russel grumbled, "That won't be easy, especially if these zombies can regenerate like the ones at the Spirit House did before we banished the two spirits."

"Hmmm…" 2D glanced curiously towards Noodle, who had a thoughtful expression on her face as she spoke. "The big spirit has already shown that it is willing to turn over control of its zombies to minor spirits. We may have to take down another enemy, similar to the two spirits at our house, so that we can confront the big spirit without having the zombies to worry about."

Struck by sudden inspiration, 2D grinned. "Ooh! It's like a video game!"

The present company turned towards him, looking, for the most part, very confused. "Care to explain how this apocalyptic and _very real_ scenario is like a video game, Dullard?" Murdoc growled.

Blinking, 2D elaborated, "Well- you know- in lots a' video games, you have levels, and you have to fight through each level, and there's usually- ah- a 'boss' at the end of each level. So- ah- level one was the spirit house; we had to fight all the zombies and then defeat the bosses, which were the spirits. Now we're on level two, and we have to fight more zombies then find and kill whatever's controlling them, the second boss. Then, we'll be on level three, where we'll have to fight through the spirit's last defenses and then fight him. The last boss is always the biggest and the hardest."

Russel looked mildly impressed. "Well, that actually is a pretty simple way to understand this mess. Good job, 'D."

Noodle smiled and squeezed 2D's arm. The singer blushed.

"Congratulations, Faceache; your brain did something right. However," Murdoc muttered, casting a serious look over the group, "I'd like to remind us all that there's no 'restart' in this game, and no magic fairies or funny green mushrooms that'll heal you if you get yourself killed. If you die, you're dead. And I'd rather not waste my time trying to build replacements for all of you."

"Aww, Murdoc, you really do care!" Noodle teased.

Murdoc responded with a low growl. "I just want you lackeys to know that If I die and any of you make it out of this alive, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your miserable life."

2D gulped, looking at his toes. He'd rather be haunted by Moby Dick himself than have Murdoc's spirit pulling his pants down for the rest of eternity.

"We're all taking the same risks here, Muds," Russel responded.

"Yes, and we're all going to be very careful," Noodle supported. "We're in this together, and we're all going to help each other make it out of this mess alive."

Murdoc grumbled, rolling his eyes (one of which continued to roll long after the gesture had been completed). "Whatever. Let's start making plans. How are we entering the city?"

"I was going to drive my truck," Little Simz began, "but with all of the spiritual energy I've contracted, it's taking a lot of focus not to start floating, and I don't want to accidentally set my dashboard on fire. If someone else drives my truck, I can fly behind it." Little Simz removed a set of keys from her pocket, tossed them into the air, then caught them. When she turned to 2D, the singer's muscles tensed, his nerves twinging under her analytic gaze. "You. You're the one who sliced that stupid worm spirit in half, right?"

2D nodded nervously. His eyes widened with surprise when she tossed the keys towards him. He reached out quickly to catch them before they hit the ground. The singer looked quizzically up at the rapper, who spoke once more, "I expect to see zombie guts all over the grille when I get my truck back. Don't disappoint me."

The singer nodded. "Yes, mam."

"What? Dents gets to drive?" Murdoc howled. "Look at his eyes, how's he supposed to see the road properly? I should be the one driving!"

"If I remember correctly," Russel responded, his eyes narrowing at the bassist, "'D's eyes were injured in car accidents. Two separate car accidents. Caused by the same person. Maybe that person is the one who shouldn't be driving."

2D grinned, so happy to have Russel's support that he was hardly bothered by Murdoc's silent fuming.

"Ok," Noodle brought them back on track. "If 2D drives, Murdoc and Russel can share the truck with him. Little Simz can fly behind them, and I can bring up the rear on my motorcycle. Does that sound good to everyone?"

One by one, the bandmates nodded in consent. Despite the dire situation, 2D felt a flash of pride. _They're trusting me to lead the way!_

"Let's get back to the house then," Russel suggested. "We'll grab some weapons, get in formation, then hit the city."

With that said, the band began to walk (or, in Little Simz's case, float) down the hill to where the truck and Noodle's motorcycle were parked. 2D took a deep breath, holding his head high. _We're ready for this. I'm ready for this. I won't let them down._

. . .

"Come on, one last push!" Russel bellowed.

2D strained as, side by side, he and Murdoc shoved a large, mounted machine-gun across the bed of Little Simz's truck. With a heavy _thunk_ , the device hit the back window.

"Okay, good! It's there!" Russel hollered, giving them a thumbs-up as the exhausted duo climbed off the truck.

"I still don't see why you couldn't have pushed it in place yourself," Murdoc grumbled at the drummer.

"What, you think just 'cause I'm big, I should do all of the heavy lifting?"

"Well, you already tote that oversized gut around, what's a few more pounds to that?"

"Muds, do you _want_ to have your nose broken again? 'Cause I can make that happen."

"Boys, stop fighting!" Noodle scolded. "If you're done setting up the gun, then throw some more weapons into the back and climb in. 2D," Noodle said, turning to the singer, "Make sure you have something in the front seat to defend yourself with. You'll have to focus on your driving, of course, but you should ideally be able to bat away anything that comes near your window."

"Bat away…" 2D smiled. Sauntering to their weapons trailer (and feeling like a video game character about to select their weapon), 2D seized a long, wooden baseball bat. Exiting the trailer, he playfully swung the bat around, loving the feeling of the heavy wood swooshing through the air.

"A baseball bat?" Little Simz questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Did you play ball when you were a kid?"

"Nah," 2D responded, "But my friends used to take me out in their car to swing at mailboxes. I was mostly brought along so that they could blame me for everything later. Eventually, I decided that if I was going to be the only one taking the blame, I may as well just go out and do it by myself. It took a while and I crashed two cars, but I learned how to swing and drive at the same time."

"An excellent skill to have," Murdoc declared, "but not nearly as impressive as speed snatching. You drive up to some pedestrians with shopping bags, preferably those just coming out of the liquor shop, and quickly snatch what they've got as you shoot past them." As if to demonstrate his point, the bassist sprinted past Russel and, as he was doing so, reached out to snag the strap of a large gun and pull it out of the drummer's hands. Murdoc stood smirking a few meters away, basking in Russel's glower, the gun hanging by its strap from his outstretched hand. "It's much more rewarding game, in my opinio-"

VROOOOM!

Noodle flashed past Murdoc on her motorcycle. The bassist was left gaping, staring at his now empty arm. All heads turned to Noodle, who now had the gun strap hooked over the end of a long hockey stick. She smiled sweetly at them. "You're right, Murdoc. Speed snatching is a useful skill to have. I think I'll keep this gun with me."

2D, Russel, and Little Simz laughed while Murdoc sighed in resignation. "Ah well. Let it never be said that I didn't raise you to get what you want, my protégé-in-crime."

Noodle rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Whatever you say, Murdoc. It really is about time we hit the city, though. Does everyone have their bag of powder?"

Heads nodded. 2D ran a hand over his pants pocket, where he could feel the bulge of his powder-filled Ziplock baggie. "We're all set, Noodle," Russel confirmed.

"Ok," Noodle responded. "Remember; save your powder for when we find spirits; we have a limited supply and it would be wasted on the zombies. If everyone's ready, let's load up."

With that said, the bandmates walked to their respective places. As 2D climbed into the Driver's seat of Little Simz's truck, he could feel the vehicle shift under the weight of Russel and Murdoc hopping into the bed of the truck. 2D slammed the door shut beside him. Glancing at his rearview mirror, he saw Little Simz standing behind them. Her feet slowly left the ground; she was floating, ready to fly.

2D's attention was then seized by a revving engine. He saw Noodle on her motorcycle circling them, making three complete loops before turning sharply and pulling up beside his window. She tapped on the glass. Grinning, 2D started his own engine and rolled his window down. "What's up, love?"

"I just wanted to remind you to be careful. Keep your window down, so that you can hear us if we need to give you directions or tell you something important. Bat anything that comes within reach of your door. I'll be right behind you." She leaned towards the window. 2D leaned forward and met her halfway, catching her lips in a short but comforting kiss. When they pulled away, they spent a few moments smiling at each other, 2D admiring her vivid eyes, seeing his own affection mirrored back at him. "Are you ready, Toochie?"

"Yeah," 2D responded with a wink. "I'm ready for anything."

Noodle nodded, revved her bike, then shot off, circling the truck once more before pulling behind Little Simz. Watching through his mirror, 2D could see them exchange a few quick words before Noodle shot him a thumbs-up. They were ready.

2D took a deep breath, fixing his gaze onto the road before him with determination. He was ready. His foot pressed onto the gas and the truck lurched forward.

The singer could hear his bandmates whooping as they sped down the road. Sure, they could die today, but that wasn't going to stop them from living up every moment of it. 2D allowed his own howls to fill the air, joining his band in a chorus of excitement. _Level 2, here we come!_

The strange caravan shot down the empty roads. As they approached the city, an eerie mist began to surround them, shrouding the landscape in mystery. Turning on the headlights, 2D stared forward with concentration, waiting for the fog to clear. He could feel the energy of the city, they were almost there now…

The fog cleared. They were in.

The old section of the city was filled with ancient brick buildings, some of them halfheartedly restored, others collapsing in on themselves. Zombies crept around every corner, gathering swiftly as they heard their intruding enemies approach. They lumbered onto the road, trying to block the band's path. 2D pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

WHAM! THUMP!

The truck jolted as it ran over sickly green bodies. 2D turned on the wipers as half-rotted zombie fluid splattered across the windshield. Running over the zombies was fun, but it was slowing him down; the faster zombies were now able to approach the truck instead of merely standing in its way. 2D could hear their machine gun firing at the surrounding hordes; he could see the zombies ahead of him falling before they could clutter the center of the road. Someone was trying to clear the path for him.

Willing the truck to go faster, 2D seized his baseball bat from the otherwise empty passenger seat. A skinny, green zombie with a missing eye was approaching his window. It groaned as it approached, reaching towards him-

Then got a facefull of baseball bat.

2D cheered as the zombie fell, and felt the truck clear another body before shooting down a clear stretch of road. Glancing into the rear-view mirror, the singer saw Russel at the helm of the machine gun, blocking his view of anything else behind him. Turning to the side-view mirror, 2D could see Little Simz flying, shooting balls of blue energy at any zombie that got too close. Beyond her, Noodle was swerving through an obstacle course of the fallen undead, swinging her hockey stick to behead every zombie she could catch. 2D grinned to himself. They were doing well.

Unfortunately, these zombies, like the ones at the Spirit House, fell for only a moment before piecing themselves back together and lumbering to their feet, continuing to pursue the band. The zombie crowds were getting thicker as they drove. Despite his best efforts, Russel was having trouble keeping 2D's path clear and they were slowing down. 2D glanced from side to side, adrenaline coursing through his veins, watching as zombies lined the sidewalks and threw themselves in front of the car. _We need to find what's controlling them soon!_ 2D thought. _But where is it? Is it near the center of the city? Or is it hidden away where it thinks we won't look? Or is it actually the big spirit, controlling everything instead of letting a smaller spirit help this time?_ The singer bit his lip. _How are we ever going to figure this out?_

2D heard banging on the side of the truck. Sticking his head out the window, 2D saw Murdoc making noise to get his attention. "Hey, 2D! Take a left up here!"

2D scrunched his eyebrows, confused. "A left? Why?"

"My eye told me that we need to go left!"

" _Your eye?"_ 2D exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up.

Murdoc pointed a long fingernail towards one of his eyes, which was pointing resolutely to their left even as the bassist tried to look at 2D. "This is my demonic eye! I think all the spiritual energy around this place is what's been making it act up lately. If we follow it, it should lead us to where the energy is concentrated!"

Not entirely understanding the mechanics of the demonic bassist's eye but nevertheless choosing to trust him, 2D nodded. "Okay, we'll follow your eye!"

"I'll tell Russ to shoot in the direction we need to go. Just follow the falling bodies!" With that, Murdoc disappeared behind the drummer.

2D turned forward to see that the next intersection was nearly upon them. He cut the wheel; the truck's tires screeched as they curved sharply to the left. Fortunately, the zombies seemed unprepared for this move, and 2D smiled as they coasted down a relatively clear stretch of road.

They plunged deeper into the city, managing to stay abreast of the worst crowds of zombies. The old brick buildings gave way to more modern ones made of glass, steel, and malfunctioning neon signs which cast a surreal glow over their path. Whenever the undead crowds began to get to thick, 2D would lead them in an evasive maneuver, taking a sharp turn down an empty-ish street to shake the zombies off. Then Russel, guided by Murdoc's instruction, would use the machine gun to point 2D back in the direction they needed to go.

2D leaned over the steering wheel, gritting his teeth. Although the zombie crowds had thinned slightly, he could definitely feel the strange energy now, a sort of unearthly tingle which made him feel simultaneously excited and scared. _This is how I felt when I touched the spirit piano…_ 2D shivered at the memory of the insurmountable spiritual pressure forcing him to sit at the piano, to remain still as ghostly threads seeped out from the keys and crept into his body- _No! I can't think about that right now! I have to stay focused! I have to stay brave!_

Bullets from their machine gun clattered over a right-turn symbol painted over the pavement. 2D pulled on the wheel and led the way down the indicated road, checking his side mirror briefly to make sure Little Simz and Noodle were still on his tail.

Bullets pinged off the walls of an alleyway and 2D followed, glancing warily at the tall, narrow walls converging on either side of him. It struck him as odd that there were no zombies blocking his path; after all, it would only take a few of them to strategically clog this tight space. 2D tilted his head to the side, pinching his eyebrows together. Something wasn't quite right.

Exiting the alleyway, 2D found himself in a spacious parking lot. The lot was surrounded by a tall chain-link fence and further enclosed by a cubicle of apartment buildings. There were cars piled against the sides of the lot, shoved into the fence as if a huge monster had found the lot full and seen fit to manually convert the space into a giant arena.

2D drove into the center of the lot, twisting the wheel so that the truck turned back to face the alleyway before he parked ( _This way,_ he thought, _we'll be able to get out quickly if something we can't handle shows up)._ Once the truck had come to a stop, the singer poked his head out of the window, observing his surroundings. He could see his bandmates doing the same, scanning the area for supernatural inhabitants. However, the parking lot was unnaturally quiet. 2D tentatively opened his door and stepped out of the truck to get a better view of the lot. All he could see between himself and the enclosing walls of stacked cars and fence was a field of cracked asphalt, dirtied with the occasional piece of litter.

2D narrowed his eyes. Something definitely felt not right about this.

"Muds, this place is deserted," the singer could hear Russel inform the bassist. "That eye of yours is no compass. We need to look somewhere else."

" _No!_ It's here, I can _feel_ it!" The truck bounced as Murdoc jumped off the back. 2D watched as the bassist wandered around the clearing, holding one hand over his good eye so that the bad eye could lead him. The bassist slowly ambled back from whence they came, towards the entrance of the alleyway. 2D sighed, his head drooping with disappointment. _Well, it looks like Murdoc's eye was a bust. Now how are we supposed to find-_

"Aargh!" Murdoc hollered, slapping a hand over the mystic eye. The man hunched over, appearing to be in pain.

"Murdoc! Are you okay?" Noodle revved her bike and shot towards the bassist, concern in her eyes.

"It's… Arrr!" Murdoc groaned, panting as he struggled to force the words out. "It's spinning! It won't stop spinning! Rrrr! Bloody eye keeps twisting in its socket!"

Noodle parked beside Murdoc and hopped off her bike. "Here, let me see it-"

"No! Don't touch it, it already hurts enough!"

"Just let me look at it!" Noodle grabbed the bassist's wrists and yanked them away from his face. 2D couldn't see what was going on with the eye, but he could see Noodle flinch, so he knew that whatever Murdoc's eye was doing wasn't pretty. " _Kuso…_ Eyes shouldn't be able to twist like that…"

"Try moving him!" Little Simz called. "If his eye's acting like a compass, it should stop spinning if you move him off whatever it's attracted to."

"Good idea," Noodle agreed. Firmly grabbing Murdoc's shoulder, Noodle led the cursing man a few feet to the left, and almost instantly his breathing began to even as tension visibly left him.

"Oh, that's better," Murdoc sighed, rubbing both eyes with the heels of his hands before turning to look at the spot where he had been standing. 2D looked as well; the spot was marked by a circular storm drain lid. Noodle approached the spot, her eyes on the lid-

The lid began to rattle.

Noodle paused. The whole group held their breaths as the heavy-looking lid continued to shake, its metallic clatter piercing the eerily silent air. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the rattling stopped.

2D watched as Noodle tilted her head in thought, his own mind full of curiosity. And, of course, fear. _This reminds me of something,_ 2D thought, wracking his brain, _but I can't remember what…_ Noodle continued to approach the drain lid, squatting beside it, digesting it with her analytical gaze. Slowly, the guitarist reached out, her hand gradually creeping forward until she gently laid it over the lid. She ran her fingers over the lid, bringing her nails to the edge where it met the pavement. Using both hands, Noodle pried at the lid, managing to get one side up and beginning to lift it away.

2D massaged his fingers through his hair, pleading for his brain to work. _What does this remind me of?_

Suddenly, the lid was knocked out of Noodle's hands as a small, dark shape sprung out of the drain. Noodle leaped backwards, watching tensely as the small creature rounded on her and hissed menacingly. The moment he saw it, a memory clicked in 2D's mind.

 _A raccoon! Just like the one from my closet!_ Indeed, the small animal had feral eyes which were practically burning with hatred for the present company. This animal, unlike the Spirit House's raccoon, appeared to be rather healthy, its thick fur shining with shades of smoky gray and midnight black, teeth bared, claws sharp, alert and ready to fight.

2D wasn't impressed.

 _Yeah, I guess it's kinda scary,_ 2D thought as he observed the hissing animal, _but after all the spirits and zombies we've fought, a raccoon just doesn't seem like a big deal anymore._

"A raccoon?" Murdoc howled. "We race through the city like heroes, follow all of the magic spirit signs, and arrive at this stupid parking lot to find a blasted raccoon? When this is over, I'm tearing out this eye myself!"

"Hey! Don't smack-talk Ringo!" an unknown voice boomed.

The bandmates heads jerked towards the drain. 2D's eyes widened as a man rose out of it. Mind you, the man didn't climb out of the drain, he _rose_ out of the drain, floating upwards, standing straight and tall with his pale arms folded over his chest. He was wearing all black, and, like Murdoc, bore an upside-down cross necklace. There was also something strangely shimmery about him… almost translucent… it was as if this figure were a picture painted on mist. The floating man drifted beside the drain opening, and his feet touched the asphalt. The raccoon, chittering cheerfully, began to run in circles around his feet. The strange figure crouched down, smiling as he scratched the happy animal's ears, then stood back up, observing the band with a condescending glare.

"Who the devil are you?" Murdoc growled, eyeing the mysterious man suspiciously.

The man's gaze swept over Murdoc, looking him up and down as if he were sizing the bassist up. "I," he replied, "am called Hal Muerto. I am the leader of this area's official demon-worshiping group, the Spirit Seekers. Or, at least, I was. They're all dead now."

2D didn't like the way Hal was looking at them. It was the way Murdoc usually looked at him whenever the singer accidentally said something punishably stupid, and it typically meant that he was about to get his face smashed in. However, 2D thought it would only be polite to console him for the loss of his friends, so he approached the group gathered around the drain cover, stuttering as he went, "Um- ah- hello, Hal. My name's 2D. I'm sorry to hear about your loss."

Hal turned to the singer. 2D stopped in his tracks when Hal's gaze met his, shivering involuntarily as the figure's cold gray eyes pierced him to his core. Hal smirked, taking the upmost pleasure in 2D's discomfort. "Oh, there's no need to console me. Who do you think killed those pathetic idiots?"

 _Oh… That doesn't sound good at all._ Hals's gaze was cold and frightening and 2D wanted to look away, but he felt Noodle take a short step closer to him, her warmth and courage flowing into him as she gently grasped his arm. The singer took a deep breath, straightened his spine, and held the man's gaze. "You- you killed them? Your own friends?" 2D felt a spark of anger inside of him as he thought of his own friends, who he would never dream of hurting like that. Sure, he often wished he could lock Murdoc in a closet or something for his own protection, but he would never kill them! "Why would you do that?"

"Because it was necessary," the man replied casually. "I needed human sacrifices to activate the spirit piano. I only wish I'd had more followers. Then, it wouldn't have taken all this time for the piano to reach its full strength."

" _You_ activated the spirit piano?" Noodle said, anger evident in her voice. "You're the one who started this whole mess? What were you thinking!?"

"I was thinking that, with my many spiritual skills and accomplishments, whatever demon-spirit was locked in the piano would surely want to keep me around to serve him. I could be spiritually tied to the demon."

"What's the fun in being tied down?" Murdoc responded incredulously. "you can enjoy meddling with demonic powers without being stuck at the side of some needy apparition!"

"Yes, of course, and I enjoyed my freedom for a while," Hal replied. "But the more I learned, the more I realized the benefits of being tied. For one thing, you receive powers you could never dream of. Also, you live as long as your master lives. In other words, if your demon lives forever, _you_ live forever."

"And if your demon gets banished, _you_ get banished," Murdoc growled in reply.

"Precisely," Hal affirmed. "You understand, then, why I can't let you approach my master."

Silence hung over the lot. The bandmates stared tensely at Hal, who stared back calmly. The raccoon circled his human's feet, making a noise similar to a cat's purr. After a few long seconds passed, Murdoc broke the silence with a dismissive huff. "You think you can stop us? What are you going to do, sic the dumpster-rat on us?"

The Raccoon hissed, and Hal snarled, " _Ringo_ is my familiar, and If I were you, I would start showing him some respect right now. Your life might just depend on it."

" _Ooh,_ poor little Hal is upset because I was mean to his stinky, striped sewer-critter," Murdoc mocked, pulling faces as he did so.

Hal's face contorted with anger; he looked like he was about to add to the number of times the bassist had had his nose broken. However, the tension broke as 2D (whose mind had been dwelling down a somewhat different path) curiously asked his own question. "Wait, wait… I don't think I understand… Why is Ringo your friend? I mean, he's acting like sort of a smart raccoon, but you said you killed your other friends, so shouldn't he be afraid that he'll be killed to? I mean, I think I'd be scared, if I were Ringo-"

Hal cut 2D off with a terrible, bone-chilling laugh. " _If you were Ringo?_ You could never be Ringo. As you yourself said, Ringo is a very intelligent raccoon." Hal knelt down to scratch Ringo's chin. "He understands that what I did to the others was a necessary sacrifice. In fact, he's made his fair share of sacrifices. Who do you think recruited the raccoon you found in your closet? Where do you think the blood we used to write on your walls came from?" 2D gasped, looking down at Ringo in horror, noticing Hal's evil reflected in the critter's eyes. "You see, 2D, like souls find each other, appreciate each other's talents, and become very successful through their collaboration. But weak souls, like yourself, are here to be used by the strong. You are worthless on your own. You only become of value when someone comes along who knows how to use you, how to kill you slowly for their own benefit."

"That's not true!" 2D and Noodle shouted in unison. 2D could feel the guitarist's anger on his behalf merging with his own indignation as he continued, "I'm not worthless, and I'm not used! I have friends who respect me!"

"Yes, _respect_ ," Hal sneered. "Is 'respect' what it's called when someone hits you with their car? Deludes you? Kidnaps you, traps you on a piece of trash, and surrounds you with your worst fears until you obey his orders?"

"Shut up!" 2D and Murdoc both shouted at once. This time, Murdoc picked up the argument, hollering, "Don't you dare compare me to you! I'm not like you!"

"Oh, sure," Hal sneered sarcastically, "You're not like me, you're not like your father, you're not like your brother…" Smiling, Hal stroked Ringo, who arched his back into his hand. "But I must say, you aren't half as nice to your human 'friends' as you are to that raven of yours… what's his name… Cortez?"

"I- wait- how do you even know about Cortez? How do you know about any of this?" Murdoc hollered, looking livid.

"Oh, I know all about you," Hal chuckled, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest. "I've seen all that my master can see. I'm afraid that your spiritually-tuned eye has been a disadvantage to you in that respect; it provides a rather clear window to your soul- what's left of it, anyway, and that's not much. As for your singer…" 2D felt chills as Hal's gaze turned to him. "You got very intimately acquainted with my master, now, didn't you? He's been _inside_ you… we both have… we've seen, manipulated, and ravaged every piece of your mind, body, and soul, creeping through your veins, exploring your most intimate memories and feelings, making you our own..."

2D found himself trembling, flashing back to his possession, to the helplessness and the pain… Subconsciously, he wrapped his arms around his chest. He felt contaminated.

The singer was so wrapped up in his personal wave of emotion that he jumped when he felt Noodle move beside him. The guitarist stepped in front of him, her body tense, and threatened in a low voice, "Leave 2D _alone_."

Hal looked curiously at Noodle, his eyes scanning her with obvious interest. "I would have loved to take a peek inside of you… Unfortunately, your idiot friend is so protective that, despite his lack of brains, he managed to keep my master away from you."

A spark lit inside of 2D's mind. _I'm not contaminated… I'm not weak… I'm strong!_ Stepping forward, he stood beside Noodle. "We can fight you and your master off any day," 2D announced, fighting the tremor out of his voice.

Hal only laughed, shaking his head pityingly. "Such brave words from such a pathetic man… Well, let's put those words to the test, shall we? You think you can beat me. I think I shall take great pleasure in proving you wrong."

2D tensed his muscles, making fists to prevent his fingers from twitching nervously. Murdoc and Noodle were also facing the man with fierce expressions, and 2D could hear Russel and Little Simz approaching behind him, backing them up. "You're outnumbered," Murdoc sneered evilly, shooting Hal a wicked grin full of pointed teeth.

Hal cocked his head to the side. "Am I? I could've sworn I saw some of my friends around here earlier. SERVANTS! COME TO ME!"

Hal's shout was strangely amplified; it echoed around the clearing, fusing with a new noise, a bone-chilling groan which grew louder with each passing second…

Car doors were flung open with loud _bangs!_ All around the edges of the clearing, zombies were exiting the cars in droves, crawling out from the earth beneath them, forming a ghastly ring around the lot. 2D glanced quickly from side to side, his heartbeat accelerating, his eyes going pale. He sniffed the air. The clearing smelled like roadkill on a hot day.

"Have fun trying to defeat my undead army!" Hal cackled, watching the band as, one by one, they turned away from him, bracing themselves to face the zombies who were closing in, advancing sluggishly across the clearing.

2D's fists trembled as his gaze flickered from Hal to a zombie standing just beyond his left shoulder. The zombie was wearing a tattered "Save the Whales" T-shirt. 2D cringed, feeling slightly sick.

But he also felt slightly angry.

 _He helped that spirit possess me!_ 2D thought, flames sparking in his chest. _He tried to help it possess Noodle! This whole stupid spirit situation is all his fault, and now he's threatening us with sodding zombies!_ The singer tore his eyes from the zombies, staring instead at Hal's smug smirk. "We don't need to fight them!" 2D shouted, hoping his bandmates could hear him over the chorus of undead groans. "You're controlling them! We just need to get rid of YOU!" 2D raised his fist. He didn't usually do things like this, but he had seen Murdoc do it plenty of times, so he knew how to do it properly. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, 2D twisted his body forward, pushing all of his weight and momentum through his shoulder, through his arm, into his first-

2D's knuckles met Hal's face.

Hal disappeared in a puff of red smoke.

2D lost his balance, his body following his fist and falling roughly onto the pavement. He felt his face scrape the blacktop and winced as his chest hit the hard surface with bruising force. The singer coughed; the red smoke from Hal was still drifting around his face and he had breathed some of it in, causing his chest to burn. 2D groaned.

He could _hear_ himself groan…

The zombies had gone silent.

2D sucked in a breath when he felt a hand clamp onto his shoulder. "Toochie? 2D, are you okay?"

2D looked up at Noodle, relaxing at the sight of his friend. He began pushing himself off the ground. "I've felt better, love. Did… Did I beat him? Are the zombies dead?"

Noodle offered the singer a hand up, which he accepted gratefully. Glancing around the clearing, 2D observed that the zombies were very much alive, standing still and watching him as he rose to his feet. The singer frowned, confused. "But… Hal disappeared! If he's gone, how can the zombies still be standing?"

"You tell me, Dullard!" Murdoc growled, glancing briefly at 2D before observing the zombies once more. "So much for your video-game-boss-controlling-the-zombies theory. Utter bollocks."

"Hey, don't blame this on 2D!" Noodle scolded the bassist angrily.

Russel chipped in, "Yeah, man; D's tryin'."

Murdoc made some angry retort and Noodle and Russel continued to argue with him, but 2D could barely hear them. Something had gone off in his brain when Murdoc insulted him. The singer narrowed his eyes, glaring at Murdoc. That burning sensation in his chest was back.

He was seeing red.

"He was right." 2D muttered.

The singer's voice carried eerily through the air, and despite their loud argument, all of his bandmates heard him and turned to face him, looking confused. Except for Murdoc. He looked vindicated. "You see? Faceache agrees. His idea was idiotic."

2D approached the bassist, a strange blankness in his eyes. When he was two feet away Murdoc pushed out his hand, saying, "What, do you want a hug? Why don't you just mind my personal spa-"

 _WHAM!_

Murdoc was on the ground, clutching his nose. 2D looked down on the bassist, feeling his face contort with anger as Murdoc replied, "Dammit, Dullard! What the-"

2D kicked him in the ribs, earning a sharp gasp of pain from the bassist and a surprised cry from Noodle. "Toochie! What are you doing?"

2D hissed towards Murdoc, "Hal was right. You _use_ me." 2D aimed another kick at the fallen bassist. "you _hurt_ me." Murdoc tried to grab 2D's oncoming foot, only to cry out as it stomped painfully onto his fingers. "You're abusive, controlling, _just like Hal,_ and _just like your sodding father_!" 2D felt Russel grab onto him, trying to hold him back. Rage built up inside of the singer, he felt like he was burning-

" _Ouch!"_ 2D heard Russel bellow as the hands let go of him. "Man, what's up with you? You feel like your on fire!"

"Then maybe you should STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" 2D bellowed, rounding on the shocked drummer, fury bursting out of him like an explosion. There was red mist floating before his eyes; 2D couldn't tell if it was just in his head or if it was actually floating around him, a physical representation of his mood. Rounding back on the bassist, 2D knelt down, grabbed the stunned man by the collar of his shirt, and raised him into the air. He walked to the edge of the lot, followed closely by his bandmates (who he could hear shouting at him, although he couldn't tell what they were saying). Murdoc struggled in his grip, kicking and thrashing. As he reached the edge of the lot, the zombies cleared a path, allowing 2D to slam Murdoc against the dirtied side of a white van.

"Mate, you're possessed again!" Murdoc howled into his face, his mismatched eyes wide and frantic. "Let me go! This isn't you!"

"IT'S NEVER BEEN ME!" 2D screamed, his spit and red mist flying through the air in front of him. "It's always been _you_ , _your_ band, _your_ stupid music, and who cares if poor little 2D gets hurt while you're doing what _you_ want? After all, I'm YOUR SINGER!"

"Listen, mate-"

"DON'T CALL ME 'MATE!'"2D screamed. "After all you've done to me, after all of the pain you've caused me! You never apologized for anything! You never cared! You tried to break me in every way possible! For an entire album, _you made me want to die!_ "

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Murdoc cried in panic.

2D leaned forward, pressing the bassist into the van, watching him struggle for breath as 2D's fist on his collar pushed his throat into the painted metal. "It's too late now. I'm done with you."

2D felt his mouth hang open. Red mist was spilling out of it, but he didn't care. He could see the mist pool onto the ground below him before creeping back up, crawling over the bassist's feet and legs. He watched as Murdoc looked down, his green face contorting with fear as he saw the mist rise up around him. "Look, ma- 2D, I admit it! I've been bad! I've controlled you! After all of this is over, you can be done with me and never see me again! But right now, something else is controlling you, and it's not going to be any nicer to you than I have been! Fight it off! Don't do it to save me! Fight it to save yourself!" Sucking in one last breath, Murdoc closed his mouth, holding his breath as the red mist curled around his face.

2D leaned forward, breathing onto the man. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted Murdoc to breathe the smoke. He had the feeling that it would make him suffer, like he had. He looked into the bassist's eyes and smirked cruelly. Murdoc couldn't hold his breath forever.

Something pushed against his elbow. Maybe it had been trying to get his attention for a while and he just hadn't noticed it. Suddenly, Noodle was there, standing on a car tire so that her face appeared between his and Murdoc's. 2D grimaced, snarling angrily, "get out of the way!"

Noodle shook her head, holding her breath against the smoke. 2D growled, more mist spilling out of his mouth. _So be it, then. They can both breathe the smoke._

 _wait…_

2D stared into Noodle's eyes, seeing the strange combination of love and defiance etched into her face.

 _This is Noodle! I can't hurt Noodle!_

 _Why not? She's protecting Murdoc. She's in league with him._

 _No… She wants to protect me. She doesn't like it when he hurts me!_

 _Then why is she standing in your way?_

 _I don't know!_

 _Then let her fall! Let me possess her!_

 _Possess? It that what this mist does? Wait a minute… If the mist is coming out of me…_

2D's eyes widened.

 _Don't fight it, 2D._ It was Hal's voice piercing his mind. _I can free you from him. I can free you from all of them. Together, we can be powerful!_

 _No… Not Noodle… Not me… "Not again!"_

2D wasn't sure if he had spoken that last thought out loud, but he could feel Murdoc's shirt slip between his loose fingers as he closed his eyes. His head was pounding. He curled his fingers into his hair. "I don't want to be controlled anymore!" He screamed. "Get out! GET OUT!"

There was a sensation like an explosion in his chest. 2D flung his head back as a deep red plume of smoke leaped out of his mouth, hanging in the air above him. Feeling suddenly empty, 2D's knees buckled. He would have crashed onto the pavement if Noodle hadn't suddenly appeared beside him, wrapping a strong arm around his waste to hold him upright. Together, they stared up at the cloud of red smoke, which bubbled angrily in the air above them. Hal's voice boomed out from the smoke,

" _You pathetic fool!_ You've missed out on your chance for revenge, and now you'll die a spineless wimp!"

2D flinched as the smoke flew back towards the ground. Fortunately, it turned away from him, instead angling towards the upturned sewer cap, where Ringo the raccoon sat waiting. Ringo opened his mouth, welcoming the smoke as it poured into his body. 2D watched in horror as the raccoon swelled, growing as it absorbed the smoke, its eyes glowing brighter as it increased in size. The raccoon grew rapidly, he was the size of a dog… of a horse… of a truck…

2D tilted his head back, swallowing as a raccoon roughly the size of a tyrannosaurus loomed over his head. Ringo roared. The zombies groaned.

"Toochie!" 2D looked down at Noodle, seeing his frightened expression reflected in her eyes. "Go back to Little Simz's truck! You, Russel, and Murdoc can try to take down Ringo with the machine gun while Simz and I hold back the zombies, okay?"

"O-okay," 2D responded shakily. Noodle stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before rushing back to her bike. Taking a deep breath, 2D ran back to the driver's seat of the truck, motioning towards Russel and Murdoc for them to join him.

As 2D slammed the door shut behind him, he felt the truck jolt as his bandmates jumped into the back. Twisting the key he had left in the ignition, 2D put the vehicle in drive. He was staring directly at the raccoon through the windshield, its red eyes glowing like brake lights. Behind Ringo, 2D could see Noodle and Little Simz flash past; they were driving (and flying) in circles around the truck and the raccoon, preventing the zombies from entering their arena.

2D's foot hit the gas. The truck lurched forward, gaining speed quickly. Ringo responded by charging towards them. 2D could hear the machine gun firing. Ringo flinched as the bullet's hit him, but they didn't seem to be penetrating his fur, instead bouncing off and falling to the ground. 2D gritted his teeth as he prepared to collide with the approaching raccoon.

They were feet away… Ringo raised his front paws and caught the front of the truck, bringing it to an abrupt stop. Air bags deployed. 2D grunted painfully as he received a face-full of inflated fabric, but he refused to remove his foot from the gas. The tires spun and roared, and through the scent of the blood that was trickling from his nose, the singer could smell burning rubber.

The truck shifted. 2D gasped as he felt the front lift off the ground. Ringo was going to flip them over!

He heard panicked shouting from the bed of the truck. Murdoc's gravelly voice shouted, "The eyes, Lards! Aim for the eyes!" The machine gun fired…

The truck bounced on its front tires as it hit the ground, 2D yelped as his neck was flung forwards and backwards with whiplash. He could hear Ringo screech with pain. The raccoon's screech sounded strangely human, as if Hal were screaming from within the creature. The airbag had by now deflated enough for 2D to see through the windshield. Ringo had backed up a few paces. The raccoon hunched over, its paws clasped over its eyes, its nose brushing the ground. Its head was bowed at the level of the truck.

2D hit the gas one final time, launching the truck forward, racing towards the demonic raccoon's head. The truck shuddered as it hit Ringo's skull with a resounding crack. The raccoon stopped screeching. Its body fell to the ground, limp. Lifeless.

2D stared, panting, his knuckles blanched white over the steering wheel. He could see zombies falling to the ground around them, their undead groans replaced by thuds as their bodies hit the ground. The singer raised a trembling hand to wipe his nose; it hurt terribly, and his hand came away red. The airbag had probably broken it.

"Toochie! Toochie!"

He could hear Noodle running towards him, her voice growing louder as she approached. The singer slowly opened the truck door, stepping out carefully onto his shaking legs, looking up as Noodle flung her arms around him. 2D released an unsteady breath, his face falling into her hair as the guitarist's arms tightened around him.

"We did it, Toochie! The zombies died with the raccoon! Hal must have been trapped inside of Ringo when he died!"

2D brought his own arms up around Noodle, savoring the feeling of her steadiness and warmth. "I'm so glad you're okay… I… I nearly let him possess you…"

"But you didn't let him." Noodle tilted her head up, her eyes shining wetly as she smiled up at him. "You beat him." 2D smiled back, leaning down to meet her as she stood on her toes, bringing a hand behind her head as he kissed her deeply. The singer closed his eyes, sighing as he felt her face pressed against his. When her nose brushed his nose, he flinched, pulling his face back suddenly with a whimper. Noodle looked up at him, concerned. "What's wrong, 2D"

"My nose," 2D groaned, feeling his face throb. "I think it's broken."

Noodle raised a hand to his face. He could feel her fingertips gently skimming over his nose. 2D winced as she pressed lightly against the bridge of his nose, feeling the cartilage beneath. "Yes, I think it is broken… I imagine that's where the blood smeared on your face came from… Are you going to be alright?"

2D grinned through his pain. "I've been injured worse, love."

"Um, ah, hey, Face- I mean, 2D," Murdoc said, edging hesitantly closer to them. 2D looked up towards him, noticing that the bassist limped slightly as he walked, hunched to the side as if his ribs were hurting. Murdoc looked away, avoiding eye contact. "Er, I reckon that you- or Hal- whoever was speaking, had a bit of a point about me being- well- somewhat similar to my father, and, well, I guess I do have a thing or two to- ah- apologize for…" Murdoc shuffled, looking down as he kicked a zombie skull. "So- ah- listen up, cause I'm never saying this again. I'm sorry. And I guess I understand if, when this whole zombie apocalypse thing is over, you need some space-"

2D stepped around Noodle and Murdoc winced, raising his hands protectively to cover his nose and his left ribs. He gasped with surprise when 2D wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thanks, Muds. And I'm sorry too, about punching you, then kicking you, then trying to let Hal possess you."

"No need… I guess I deserved that, a bit," Murdoc muttered, wincing. "But, speaking of the kicking, I'd appreciate it if you eased up on the hugs. Still quite a bit sore."

2D let go, stepping back and smiling at Murdoc. Seeing Little Simz watching them curiously, he asked, "Hey! Do you want a hug too?"

Little Simz took a step back. "No thanks, man, I'm good."

2D looked around the lot, spotting Russel standing by the giant dead raccoon. "How about you, Russ?"

Russel ignored him, picking up a disembodied zombie arm and using it to poke the raccoon. "This would make a cool piece of taxidermy… I haven't had a lot of time for the hobby lately, but this guy might just be worth getting back into it for. Do you guys think it'll shrink?"

2D saw Murdoc roll his eyes- actually, just one of his eyes. The other eye, sort of like a bubble rising through water, rolled up until its pupil was pointing towards the sky. 2D looked up. Thick, glowing clouds still hung high above them; the rain from that morning had faded, but the atmosphere still felt thick and stormy.

The singer felt a presence at his side. Noodle was standing beside him, her gaze following his into the clouds. "We've still got one more battle to fight," she said softly.

2D nodded, glancing from her to the thickest patch of clouds, gathered above the tallest high rise. "The final boss," he whispered, thinking back to video games.

He felt Noodle's hand wrap around his own. "We're almost there," She encouraged, glancing towards him with positive energy shining out of her smile. Glancing back at her, 2D couldn't help but feel bolstered by her warmth, a smile spreading across his own face. He listened happily as she continued, "Then we'll have a safe house to stay in, and we can focus on making music and having fun. Maybe I'll even teach you how to ride a motorcycle."

2D squeezed her hand. "I look forward to it, love."

 _BOOM!_

2D and Noodle jerked their heads towards the sky. 2D's breath hitched as he saw lightning lance across the clouds, numerous streams of electricity seeming to join together before shooting towards the ground- towards _them._

"Get down!" He heard Murdoc shout. 2D dropped to the ground, feeling pressure on his arm as Noodle did the same. His belly pressed against the ground, 2D saw the huge bolt of lightning beam towards Ringo's body, hitting it with pavement-shattering force. For a moment, the whole raccoon glowed, it's rings lighting up like some sort of monstrous neon bumblebee. Then, light shot out from under the raccoon, dancing across the pavement. 2D got the chills as the lights flew past him and Noodle, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. His eyes followed these lights for a moment before flicking back towards the raccoon. It seemed as if the remaining energy in the raccoon was gathering at the raccoon's right eye.

The eye was pointing towards Russel.

"Russ, look out!" 2D cried. He was too late.

Light shot out of the eye towards the drummer, who was bowled over, falling backwards and rolling as the light danced across his body before cutting off like unplugged Christmas lights. He lay on the ground, still.

"RUSSEL!" Noodle cried, jumping to her feet and running across the pavement. 2D followed close behind, and he could see Murdoc running their way as well. When Noodle reached Russel, she knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Russel, are you okay? Wake up! Say something!"

As Russel failed to respond, Noodle moved one of her hands under his neck to take his pulse. There were tears in her eyes. 2D could feel his own eyes watering. Russel was like a brother to him. And to Noodle… Russel was the closest thing to a parent she had ever had. Heck, he _was_ her father, regardless of what biological rules were usually applied to the term.

Noodle released a heavy breath. "He has a pulse. He's breathing, too. I think Russel's just unconscious."

2D let out his own breath, relief flooding his mind. He heard Murdoc reacting similarly.

He heard Little Simz approach them from behind. She stopped abruptly, paused, then asked, "Hey, what's up with his foot?"

Noodle glanced towards Little Simz, then towards Russel's feet, one of which appeared to be swelling. In fact, the swelling seemed to be spreading. His whole leg was getting bigger… both of his legs… his chest… his head…

"He's growing! It's like Plastic Beach all over again!" Murdoc cursed loudly, taking a step back. 2D, Little Simz, and Noodle also began stepping backwards as the drummer grew. It was, indeed, just like Plastic Beach.

Then another odd thing happened. Russel began to float.

2D watched with wide eyes as the drummer rose slowly above the ground. The singer stared for a few moments before he was distracted by a loud creaking noise. Turning around, the singer's jaw dropped.

Everything was beginning to float.

Metal grated against metal as cars rose gradually into the air. Litter flew up as if moved by a breeze he could not feel. 2D could feel his own clothes shifting against his body, tugging upwards towards the sky.

"It's attracting the objects!" Little Simz shouted, pointing towards the thick group of clouds which were now glowing even brighter than before. "I think the big demon-spirit is trying to surround itself with whatever it can find! Now that the zombies are gone, it needs protection!"

Murdoc sprinted across the clearing. 2D saw him jump to catch their truck (which had just begun to float into the air), landing in the truck bed. When Murdoc jumped back down, he held two scythes. Murdoc ran back to his bandmates and threw one of the scythes to 2D. "Now that we're all armed," the bassist growled, glancing at Noodle (who had a gun strapped to her back) and Little Simz (who had fire flushing out of her fingertips), "Let's each grab onto one of these floating objects. If Simz is right, they'll take us right to the Big Demon."

"I'm staying with Russel," Noodle said, grabbing the edge of the drummer's shirt as it lifted off the ground. "2D, do you want to come with me?"

2D nodded, running forward. Sticking the handle of his scythe in his mouth, 2D began to climb up Russel's shirt alongside Noodle. He grunted as he dragged himself over the gigantic drummer's stomach, accepting Noodle's helping hand as she pulled him up. Taking the scythe out of his mouth, panting, 2D looked down a few meters to where Little Simz stood beneath them, beginning to rise off the ground herself, aided by her recently acquired spirit-powers. Murdoc was running back towards their floating truck. He managed to snag his scythe onto the bumper and pull himself into the truck bed, waving towards the others to show that he was all set.

2D looked at Noodle. She was sitting in the center of Russel's stomach, glancing towards the drummer's face, worry evident in her eyes. Sitting beside her, 2D wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. She leaned into his grip.

2D looked towards the sky, the luminous clouds reflecting off his dark eyes. He could feel the drummer rising beneath them, lifting them towards the center of the storm. It was time to face their Final Boss.

. . .

 **Coming up next: FINAL BATTLE! Gorillaz take on the big demon-spirit thingy! Will they all make it through alive, or will sacrifices have to be made to bring the apocalypse to an end? Last chapter before the epilogue! IT ALL GOES DOWN SOOOOON!"**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Taking Back the City, Part 2**

 _ **Disclaimer: See Chapter1**_

2D's neck ached from staring at the sky, adding to his growing list of pains which included his most-likely-broken nose and his throat, which was getting quite sore after hacking out possessive demons. Above him, a pulsing mass of luminous mist shrouded the top of a tall tower and rose up into the atmosphere, hiding its contents from view. Various floating objects were being drawn into the cloud; cars, cardboard boxes, trashcans and more were disappearing behind the misty folds. _Soon,_ 2D thought, _we'll be in those clouds too._

The singer tightened his arm around the shoulders of Noodle, squeezing her closer to him as they sat on the stomach of an unconscious Russel. 2D could feel the drummer's stomach gently rising and falling beneath him, a comforting reminder that, despite all that had happened recently, he was still alive. The whole band had made it this far without serious injury… 2D gulped, his hand trembling slightly. _What if our luck runs out?_

When a head leaned onto his shoulder and an arm wrapped around his waist, 2D let out a long breath, trying to let the warmth of his friend reassure him. He tilted his head to listen as she soothed, "We're going to make it through this together, 2D. We're all here looking out for each other." He felt her lips land briefly on his cheek and couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face.

"I know I'll be safe with you, love." 2D replied, dropping a kiss into her hair. He closed his eyes, allowing his head to lean on top of hers, breathing in the familiar smell of her hair. The singer could feel Noodle stroking his back comfortingly, sending warmth up and down his spine. "Noodle… do you ever get- ah- nervous, or scared, when stuff like this happens? I mean, we always seem to get mixed up in these sorts of messes… zombies and monsters and demons… and you always seem so calm. Even when you were only ten, you looked like you could face anything."

"Of course I get scared sometimes, Toochie," Noodle murmured, her breath misting against his skin as she tucked her nose into his neck. "but I trust my own strength, and I trust the people who look out for me. You, Russel, and Murdoc have been watching out for me for a long time, and even though Russel looked big and scary when I first met him, even though Murdoc often acts before thinking about others, even though you can't think straight when you're taking pills, I know that I can count on you all when it matters."

"Even Murdoc?" 2D inquired softly.

Noodle twisted in his grip. 2D opened his eyes to see her analytic gaze meeting his own. "There's good inside of him, you just have to look very closely. Didn't you two make up? I thought you guys were okay now."

2D shrugged, casting his gaze to his knees. "We're okay. I just wouldn't trust him with my life."

Noodle shifted so that she could face him head on, gently lifting his chin to meet her gaze. "I understand, 2D. He's put you through a lot, and the scars he has given you will take a long time to heal. Some of them may never heal…" A soft fingertip traced the dark circles under 2D's eyes. The singer closed his eyes, allowing the light touch to sooth his damaged skin. "He cares more than he lets on. I think he even feels guilty sometimes. On his best days, I can see him trying to become a better friend to you, to all of us. Change is hard. He may not deserve your trust, but I hope that someday he'll have the chance to truly earn it."

2D sighed. "It would be nice if we could all be a real family that trusts each other."

"We'll get there someday, Toochie." 2D felt her breath against his face a moment before her lips were on his. Her head tilted to avoid touching his broken nose. He wrapped his arms around her, pushing his lips gently against hers as he sunk into her warm embrace. He felt her hand run through his hair as his fingers ran across the soft fabric of her shirt. His eyes were still closed when he felt the air thicken with humidity, a strange sort of electricity making his hairs stand on end. They were in the cloud.

The couple broke apart to see the glowing mist swirling around them. Silhouettes of other floating objects were interspersed through the fog, their forms blurred and distorted. 2D found himself wondering how the rest of his friends were doing. _Is that shape the truck that Murdoc is in? It that glowing shape Little Simz?_ 2D gripped Noodle tighter. It was silly to think that he'd lose her in the fog considering that she was sitting right next to him, but it was a comfort to feel her in his arms.

"I think the mist is thinning out," Noodle said, squinting forward. "The air must be clear in the center of this cloud."

2D could see it too as the shapes around them became a little less blurry and the air he breathed became less humid. However, the glowing mist seemed to be getting brighter. 2D watched as the air in front of them stirred like a shimmery veil. He held his breath as they passed through this final layer of mist and into the center of the cloud.

2D gasped.

It was like being inside of a crystal ball. The luminous mist formed a huge sphere around them; the space was wide enough to hold a large sports arena. Pieces of junk whizzed through the air in broad circular orbits, like electrons around a nucleus or planets around a sun. At the center of their orbits was an immense golden statue resembling a seated man. Its mouth was open as if to laugh or to yell. Squinting up at the gigantic shape, 2D couldn't decide if it looked joyous or enraged. He looked into the statue's glowing eyes, felt a familiar chill run down his spine, and knew.

This was their demon.

2D felt Noodle stiffen beside him. Tearing his eyes away from the statuesque demon, he glanced towards the guitarist and, seeing her gaze flicker towards multiple nearby objects, took a moment to observe the debris.

The closest pieces of junk had paused in their orbits, hanging ominously still in the air. 2D noticed that Russel had also stopped moving towards the demon and was instead hovering just inside of the mist-bound enclosure. Many meters beyond him, 2D could see large masses of objects continuing their flurried orbits, but here, all movement was frozen.

Noodle murmured a phrase in Japanese under her breath. 2D turned to observe her as she took in their motionless surroundings with narrowed eyes. "This can't be good-"

Suddenly, a nearby parking meter darted towards them. It was on a direct collision course with Russel's head. Noodle was standing in an instant, tommy-gun in hand, the muzzle flashing as she fired waves of bullets at the object. As it was hit, the parking meter shuddered. Seeming to lose its enchantment, the object stopped shooting towards them and instead fell straight down, dropping lower and lower until it disappeared through the mist. 2D stared down after it, his heart racing and his breathing fast, until a shout made him look up. He saw that Noodle was now shooting at a large dumpster which had been flying straight towards her but was now beginning to fall like the parking meter. When a trash bin soared towards 2D, it received the same treatment, eating a round of Noodle's bullets before plummeting out of sight. Then came a hubcap, a doghouse, a refrigerator… 2D watched, his mouth hanging open, as Noodle expertly shot down the volleys of assaulting objects. It was like a classic space-invader arcade game turned into a live-action event! The singer stood up carefully, his feet sinking into Russel's ample stomach, and held his scythe at the ready in case anything should get past Noodle.

"2D!" the guitarist shouted, "can you see the others?"

2D looked beyond their immediate field of objects, scanning the chaotic sphere for human life. He spotted a familiar shape hovering near the statue-encased demon. "I can see Little Simz. It looks like she's facing the demon, trying to throw balls of energy at it. Umm... It doesn't look like any of her shots are getting through. It's like the statue has some sort of energy wave coming out of its mouth that's deflecting her attacks."

Noodle growled in frustration. "I'm not sure how we can help her from here! Whatever force lifted us up here has obviously realized that we're not here to protect the demon and isn't going to let us travel any closer!"

As Noodle continued to shoot at incoming objects, 2D took a close look at their surroundings. Some of the floating objects were orbiting very close together, so close that it might be possible to jump between them like stepping-stones in a stream. 2D could imagine a Frogger-like character hopping from object to object, progressing closer and closer to the golden statue.

"Noodle, I think we could get to the center of this place if we jumped between pieces of junk! If we could distract the demon, then either one of us or Little Simz could get close enough to throw our sleeping powder onto it!"

"We can't leave Russel unprotected!" Noodle cried, shooting down a van which had been careening towards the drummer's head.

2D's hands began to tremble again. Tightening his grip on his scythe, the singer took a deep, steadying breath, letting it out slowly and with an ounce of dread. "I'm not doing us any good here. I should go and try to help Simz."

He heard Noodle's breathing hitch. For a moment, her gaze flickered towards him, allowing 2D to see her wide - _scared_ – eyes before they flew back to the incoming rubbish. "2D… We're supposed to be looking out for each other! What if you go out there, and you get hit by something or fall, and I'm not there to help you?"

"I know… It's scary – I'm scared…" 2D tried to fight the tremor out of his voice. "But we _all_ need to be looking out for each other. For _all_ of us. And I think – right now – that means I need to go look out for Little Simz. So that we can end this. So we can all be safe."

2D watched Noodle's face as it silently contorted. She blinked furiously, something wet falling from the corner of her eye as she shot down a flying motorcycle. "Toochie, I wasn't there to help you when the demon possessed you and made you play the spirit piano! I promised last night that I would always be there for you; I can't just break that promise when we're in our most dangerous situation yet!"

The singer carefully edged close to Noodle. He leaned in, brushing his lips along her ear before whispering, "It's okay. I know that you're right here, waiting for me. I know that you'll still be waiting for me when this is all over."

He hovered over her shoulder, watching emotions flit across her face as she kept her eyes trained on the flying debris. Finally, she opened her mouth and murmured in a shaky voice, "Take my bag of powder with you; it's in my back pocket. And be careful."

"I will, love." Pressing a final kiss into her hair, 2D slipped the powder out of her pocket and put it into his own back pocket. He ran to the edge of Russel's stomach. Holding his scythe in one hand, he looked down, saw a full dumpster a few meters below them, and jumped.

 _Squish!_

"Ick!" 2D whined as his elbow punctured a garbage bag and emerged dripping in yellow goo. Looking up, 2D's gaze was caught by a gleaming magenta object perched atop a trash bag, a bright shell of hard plastic. It almost looked like…

"My helmet!" 2D murmured happily, raising the violently colored headwear from the trash. "How did you end up here?" He brushed a few flecks of dirt off the hard surface, thinking about where it had been. _Did I accidentally leave it behind at the Library? They must have thrown it away…_ With a determined look in his eyes, 2D pulled the helmet over his head. The visor had come off, leaving his face exposed, but the singer felt secure with the helmet's strap tightened under his chin. _I'll stay safe, Noodle…_

Tearing his gaze away from the garbage, 2D scanned his surroundings. He saw what appeared to be a smell jet approaching, its orbit bringing it steadily closer to him. Placing his empty hand on the edge of the dumpster, 2D crouched tensely, waiting as the jet came closer… closer… closer…

2D sprang from his crouch, flinging himself over the back of the jet. The jet's velocity was fast, but slow enough that 2D could hold on. He felt the cool metal beneath his fingertips as he pressed his body against the deactivated machine, his scythe's blade scratching the glossy steel, watching as it continued to soar in a wide arc around the giant statue. Spotting a nearby wagon, 2D noticed that the trajectory of that object's orbit would take it over the statue. _It would be much easier to jump down through the objects than to jump up through them to reach the demon…_ narrowing his eyes in focus, 2D raised his body above the jet, crouched, and jumped towards the wagon-

A metal trashcan slammed into his side.

2D wheezed, the wind having been knocked out of him. Through his struggled breathing, the singer realized that he was falling. He flailed his arms, trying to grab onto something, anything. A vehicle slammed into his back and 2D cried out, hearing his helmet crack against metal and feeling himself roll over the roof of the vehicle, falling into what felt like the bed of a truck before continuing to roll. The back of the truck was apparently open; 2D felt the surface disappear beneath him as his body rolled back into the open air-

Something clamped around his wrist.

2D cried out as he was yanked out of free-fall, his shoulder pulling painfully as gravity and whatever was holding him fought for control. 2D raised his eyes fearfully, tilting his head to meet a gaze almost as wide and frantic as his own.

"Faceache! Let go of the bloody scythe!"

2D looked down. In his panic, he had held onto the scythe even as he was falling. The singer looked back up to where a clammy, green-tinted hand was wrapped around his wrist, and to where another hand was reaching out for him. "If you give me your other hand, I can pull you up! Drop the scythe!"

2D couldn't think straight. He was in pain, he was afraid, and adrenaline was coursing through him, spurring his pulse to a feverish pace. "I-I c-can't! I n-need it! It's my only protection; if I l-let go, I'll d-die!"

"You can have my scythe when you get up here, but you have to let go of that thing so I can pull you up!"

2D didn't like the way Murdoc's nails felt digging into his wrist, or the way his whole body hurt, or the way he was swinging through the empty air. His grip on the scythe was the only thing that felt right, the only thing he could control, and he was being asked to give that up. The singer shook his head jerkily, screaming, " _I can't! I can't!"_

"Dammit, 2D, _trust me!_ "

Murdoc's voice cracked when he said 2D's name. This made the singer look up at Murdoc's face, taking in the panic that was almost as vivid as his own, realizing the emotions flickering over the bassist's face. Murdoc was genuinely concerned for him.

2D felt the scythe slip through his fingers. His hand was empty. Murdoc's gaze flickered down to 2D's hand, then up to 2D's eyes. He stretched his arm to its fullest extent, beckoning for 2D to grab on. Slowly, shakily, 2D raised his hand, his body twisting as he struggled to grasp the offered hand. With a slight swing, he managed to catch Murdoc's fingers.

Then he was being pulled back into the bed of the truck, his body dragged over the ridged metal floor. The hands were gone from his wrists; he heard the back of the truck bed close with a creak and a _click_. 2D laid still for a few moments, gasping for breath, allowing his aching body a moment's respite from the chaotic work he had set out to do.

"2D, _what were you thinking?_ " Murdoc fumed. "Jumping across a minefield of speeding trash? You nearly got yourself killed just now-"

2D flung himself onto Murdoc, wrapping his hands around the bassist. "Th-thanks for s-saving me, Murdoc," 2D whimpered, his eyes squeezing closed. To his surprise, he felt the bassist return the gesture almost immediately.

"Whatever, 'D. Just stop flinging yourself in front of moving cars, would 'ya?"

2D chuckled slightly, ignoring the ache which crept across his ribs as he did so. The two friends broke apart, and Murdoc fixed 2D with a harsh stare. "What exactly were you trying to do just then?"

"I was trying to get to Little Simz," 2D replied, glancing back to where the rapper was still unsuccessfully throwing balls of energy at the statue. "She can't take that thing down on her own, since it deflects everything she throws at it. Someone needs to distract it so that one of us can hit it with our powder."

"And you intended to get there by jumping across garbage."

"Yeah," 2D replied sheepishly. "I guess I was lucky I fell into this truck."

" _Lucky?_ " Murdoc replied, raising an eyebrow. "Dull- er- 2D, I maneuvered this truck to get beneath you when I saw you fall."

"You maneuvered it?" 2D said curiously.

Murdoc smirked. "Get in here and watch this."

Murdoc climbed through the back window (which was smashed wide open) and crawled into the driver's seat. 2D followed, settling comfortably into the passenger's seat. The singer watched, intrigued, as Murdoc turned the key in the ignition. The engine revved. 2D tilted his head to the side, frowning. "Murdoc, there's no road up here."

"Screw the road." Murdoc hit the gas. The car lurched forward, speeding through the air as if it were on an invisible highway. 2D's jaw dropped. "B-but… I thought car tires needed friction-"

"Screw friction. 'D, lean back in your seat so that the truck tilts up. I'm taking us to that statue."

2D leaned back. As the car zoomed forward, the singer felt the corners of his mouth turn up into a smile. _I'm in a flying car!_ 2D popped his head out of the window, feeling the wind rush over his face. The car jerked and turned like a roller coaster as Murdoc swerved to avoid flying junk. 2D felt tempted to remove his helmet, stick his hands in the air and pretend he was on a theme park ride. Instead, he quickly pulled his head back into the car as they had a near miss with a flying hot tub.

"Muds, this is great!" 2D shouted.

"Yes. It's also safer and more comfortable than hopscotching across garbage." Murdoc said teasingly, one of his eyes rolling with amusement before fixing its gaze once more onto the statue which was now only meters away from them. "'D, I'm going to drive very close to the statue. I want you to grab the scythe on the floor and try to ding it up."

"Okay, Muds!" 2D seized the scythe and leaned out the window. Murdoc pulled in close to the statue, keeping the passenger-side mirror within a meter of the thing as he drove around it. 2D struck out with the scythe. The weapon made an ugly nails-on-a-chalkboard noise as it scraped the golden surface.

A low roar reverberated through the air. A wave of energy rolled off the statue, causing the car to shudder and shake as it was pushed back by the spiritual pulse. Murdoc quickly regained control of the car, driving it in a broad arc around the statue's stomach. The two men glanced up at the statue's face to see Little Simz still struggling to hit the statue with her energy balls.

"New idea, 'D!" Murdoc announced. "While it's distracted with Little Simz, we'll cover it in powder. Do you still have yours?"

2D reached into his front pocket, pulling out a baggie of powder. "Yeah!"

"I'm going to drive in close again. Throw the powder on the statue!"

Once again, Murdoc steered the truck alongside the statue. 2D opened his baggie, reached in, and threw a handful of powder at the statue. He watched it coat the golden metal, giving it a lightly-floured appearance before being blown away by a passing breeze. 2D felt a cold sensation in his stomach. "Murdoc, it didn't do anything!"

Murdoc cursed. "That golden shell must be protecting it. The powder won't do us any good unless we can find a crack in the shell."

"How about the eyes?" 2D suggested. "The eyes were glowing, so they probably lead straight to the spirit."

"It's protecting its eyes very thoroughly," Murdoc responded, glancing up to where Little Simz was still trying to attack the Statue's face. Murdoc growled. "I don't know how else we can-"

"RAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A huge bellow sounded through the air. Both occupants of the car glanced outward, away from the statue, to where the noise has come from. 2D smiled at what he saw. _Russel is awake!_

Indeed, the angry drummer could be seen in the distance, Noodle still perched atop his stomach, holding on tightly as the man seized a nearby dump truck and chucked it at the statue. The vehicle traveled quickly through the air like a baseball pitch.

 _CLANG!_

The dump truck hit the statue with a gong-like sound. As the dump truck proceeded to plummet to the ground, 2D felt his smile widen. It had left a crack in the statue. "Muds, quick! Drive us up to that crack!"

Murdoc stomped on the gas and the car shot up, rising over the statue's stomach towards the crack in its chest-

 _CRUNCH!_

Their truck halted suddenly to the sound of crushing metal. 2D felt his body jerk with whiplash, his helmeted head banging off his seat. Looking through the front window, 2D saw a giant, golden hand secured around the front of the truck, crushing it in its grip. Murdoc cursed, stamping on the gas and trying to coax the truck out of the statue's grasp.

2D allowed his gaze to travel up the statue's arm, following it to where it met the shoulder and fused with the damaged chest. The singer looked down at his empty baggie. "Murdoc, do you still have your powder?"

"Yeah, it's in the center cupholder," Murdoc replied, glancing towards 2D. "You have a plan?"

"I'm going to climb up the arm and get to the crack in the chest," 2D said, grabbing Murdoc's powder baggie from the cupholder.

Murdoc hissed, sending a glare towards 2D. "You'd better not fall again. I can't escape this guy's grip, so I won't be there to catch you this time."

Despite his fear, 2D smiled. "I'll be careful," he said.

"Yeah, and I bet that's what you told Noodle before you went trash-jumping."

2D winced. "Well… This time I'll be extra careful."

Murdoc groaned, raising one hand to rub his temples. "If you get killed, I'm going to drag you back to the land of the living just so that I can kill you again. Go on, do the job quickly."

2D took a deep breath. Tucking the full powder baggie into his front pocket, 2D began to climb out of the car window. This wasn't an easy task, but for someone as thin as 2D, it was possible. Soon, he was crawling across the hood of the car and onto the statue's hand.

2D began to scoot up the golden arm, lying flat across the metal as he inched forward. The incline wasn't so steep that he was in any great risk of falling off, but he didn't want to take any chances. The singer grunted with effort as he shimmied over the elbow, across the bicep, and onto the shoulder.

He could feel the metal heating beneath his fingertips; the demon was not happy. However, it appeared to be too busy facing Little Simz's assault to give him much notice. Glancing down at the statue's chest, 2D realized that he would have to fall a few meters to get to the crack. He tilted his head to the side. _If I slide down from the shoulder, I'll only have to fall for a few moments, and then I can grab on to the edge of the crack._ Turning his body, 2D slid feet-first on his belly past the statue's shoulder, allowing his hands to run over the heated metal surface as he did so. He felt his shoes pass over an opening, then his knees, then his hips, then his chest. Soon, his face was passing over the opening. He winced at the angry, demonic, red light which poured out from the crack. Feeling his hands catch the edge of the crack, the singer pulled himself up so that his elbows rested on the edge. He grimaced as heat burst forth along with the light from the crack; it felt as if he were sticking his head into a furnace. Carefully maneuvering one of his arms, 2D pulled Murdoc's powder baggie out of his pocket. Raising it to his mouth, he hummed with triumph as he tore the baggie open with his teeth and dumped the powder into the crack.

Immediately, the metal became hotter.

The statue began to vibrate.

A noise pierced the air. It started out as the low hum of vibrating metal. It rose in pitch and volume steadily, building into a moan, a whine, a scream. 2D grinned with satisfaction as he felt the sound vibrate through his chest. He knew what this meant; he could practically feel the Demon's pain through the noise it was making. In fact, the noise was so terrible that it was causing 2D's ears a lot of pain, but 2D couldn't cover his ears since he was holding on to the statue to keep from falling.

2D whimpered, feeling the hot metal burn his hands, hearing the dying demon's screech pierce his ears. When a cracking sound joined the screech, the singer looked up to see cracks spiderwebbing across the body of the statue, covering the figure in glowing red lines. 2D felt panic grip his heart. _It's going to explode…_

"2D! Grab my hand!"

There was Little Simz, hovering beside him, offering an outstretched hand. Quickly, 2D removed one of his own hands from the burning metal and took the offered lifeline. In moments, he was clinging to Little Simz in a sort of desperate hug as she lowered them both into the bed of the truck.

"It's not letting go!" Murdoc shouted, glaring angrily at the golden hand still fixed over the front of the truck. 2D looked up at the statue which, despite its numerous cracks, was not falling apart. He narrowed his eyes in thought as the demon's screeching gradually lowered into a moan.

An angry moan.

2D's stomach lurched as the car moved. He heard Murdoc cursing. The statue was moving, using its arm to lift the truck up before its angry gaze.

"Why hasn't it died yet?" Little Simz cried in frustration, summoning a ball of energy and throwing it into the statue's face.

The statue opened its mouth and swallowed the energy. Little Simz's eyes widened.

The statue's mouth remained open, and a stream of light began to flow into its mouth. Looking around, 2D could see the various floating objects in the statue's orbit connecting to the statue with beams of light. "Guys, I think it's sucking the energy out of this stuff!"

As the statue inhaled the luminous energy, the objects were pulled closer to the demon, their orbits becoming smaller, tighter. 2D saw Russel coming towards them quickly; he was swimming through the air with Noodle now clinging to his back, trying to reach them. 2D waved them over, watching as they arrived beside them.

When Russel arrived, he seized the back end of the car and tried pulling it out of the statue's grip. The large man struggled, bracing one foot against the statue's belly as he tugged at the truck. 2D could see the metal crumpling like aluminum foil in his grip.

Struck by an idea, 2D called through the back window, "Murdoc! Give me your scythe!"

The bassist tossed the requested object to 2D, who caught the handle in his hand. The singer crawled over the top of the truck, slid down the front window and landed on the hood, his feet braced against the statue's hand. He climbed onto the hand, gritting his teeth against the sting of the hot metal, then hooked his legs around the statue's wrist. Squinting at the glowing red cracks in the statue's hand, 2D raised his scythe. He swung, digging the blade into a crack in the statue's knuckles.

The statue howled.

2D grinned when he saw the statue let go of the truck. However, his grin turned into an expression of horror as he saw energy building in the statue's hand. 2D looked up at the truck. Murdoc had been joined inside the truck by Little Simz, who looked exhausted. They were both watching as energy flared in the statue's hand. Russel, with Noodle on his shoulder, was pulling the car away from the statue's hand. Noodle shouted something into the drummer's ear, and Russel reached out to 2D with his empty hand. "'D, grab on-"

BANG!

A beam of light shot from the statue's hand, hitting Russel in the stomach. The drummer flew backwards, soaring with the truck in hand towards the edge of the misty sphere.

"RUSSEL!" 2D cried as his friends became more distant. Far off, he could see Russel struggling, trying to swim back towards him, but the drummer was barely keeping himself from disappearing behind the mist.

2D was alone.

The singer tensed as he felt the statue move beneath him. The metal wrist moved up until 2D was staring into the demon's glowing eyes. The huge metal mouth leered at him as it opened. 2D could feel that furnace-like heat again. An invisible breeze was pulling at his clothes, tugging him towards the spirits mouth as the wrist he was sitting on carried him nearer.

The singer whimpered, wincing as the heat stung his watery eyes. He wanted to scoot away from the demon's face, but he knew that if he loosened his grip, the pull he felt would suck him into that hot, red mouth. He would burn in the spirit's belly. 2D desperately leaned away, rocking backwards without loosening his legs to pull his face away from the terrible heat. As he sat back, he felt something in his back pocket.

 _What's that?_ 2D thought, feeling the contents of his pocket form an uncomfortable lump under his seat. _It feels almost like the sleeping powder, but I used up all of my powder… Wait a minute!_ 2D's eyes widened. _Noodle! She gave me her powder!_

2D grinned, raising his eyes to meet the statue's angry gaze. "You want to eat something? Well, EAT THIS!"

2D reached into his pocket, tore the baggie open, and threw it into the demon's mouth.

2D cried out as the metal beneath him became searingly hot, but he couldn't hear his own scream over the awful noise coming out of the statue's mouth. Desperate to get away from the heat, 2D unwrapped his legs from the statue's wrist.

Then everything exploded.

Once again, 2D was flying through the air. He flailed through the heat, feeling shards of hot metal fly around him and scratch his skin. A particularly large piece of metal hit his leg with a _crunch_. 2D cried out at the new, intense pain in his limb. Opening his teary eyes wide, 2D glanced around frantically as he was flung through the air, searching for his friends, for anyone who might be able to help him. Instead, 2D's eyes found a large chunk of the statue's metallic chest flying towards his head. He watched the hunk of metal as it raced towards him, raising his arms and releasing one final scream before a brief pain made everything go black.

. . .

Noodle gasped.

The statue exploded, bursting like a case of red and gold fireworks. For a long moment, the sky was filled with flashing lights and a bone-rattling demonic scream.

Then, it was gone.

A cloud of smoke rose into the air. Chunks of gold plummeted to the earth. The mist that had surrounded them no longer glowed and was rapidly dispersing. And the floating objects…

Noodle's stomach lurched as she felt Russel began to fall. Fisting her hands into his shirt, Noodle looked down to see that Russel was shrinking back to his normal size. His hand on the back of the truck became smaller and smaller until it was dwarfed by the size of the indentation it had previously made. Noodle hugged Russel's back tightly as he pulled them into the bed of the truck. Unfortunately, the truck wasn't flying anymore.

Noodle, still holding onto Russel, watched as Murdoc frantically pressed buttons in the front seat, as if he could convince the car to fly again. Little Simz was slumped over with exhaustion in the passenger's seat. Noodle could tell by the reflection in the rearview mirror that her eyes were no longer glowing. Glancing up at Russel's face, Noodle saw his shining eyes stretched wide. None of them had a plan. They were in free-fall, and there was no way to stop it.

Noodle hugged Russel tighter as tears formed in her eyes. She could feel him hugging her back with one arm while he used his other arm to hold onto the truck. Wind was whistling past her ears so loudly that it sounded like a scream; she could be screaming herself without being able to hear her own voice over the wind. As they dropped lower and lower, they passed the tops of the tallest skyscrapers, windows flashing past them to quickly to make out the individual panes.

Noodle estimated that they had about fifteen seconds before they hit the ground. The guitarist took a deep breath, buried her face into her father-figure's shoulder, and closed her eyes.

They were falling…

CLANG!

Noodle looked up. Some sort of harpoon had launched itself through the bed of the truck. They were still falling, but as the bungee-like cord attached to the harpoon stretched tight, their descent slowed. For a moment, the truck paused in midair, about three stories away from the ground.

Then the truck was bouncing back up, flying along the path of the harpoon's cord. Noodle felt slightly sick as the contents of her stomach bounced up and down. Judging by the retching noises coming from the driver's window, she wasn't the only one.

The cord bounced up and down a few times before the truck finally became still. They found themselves suspended next to the ninth floor of a tall hotel. The hook began to be reeled back from whence it came, pulling itself and the truck slowly towards the roof of the building. Noodle watched the cord as it became shorter, disappearing over the edge of the roof. They were only four floors away now… three floors… two floors…. one floor…

The back of the truck cleared the roof.

The vehicle shuddered and bounced as it was dragged over the short wall surrounding the rooftop. As the truck went still, Noodle cautiously let go of Russel, looking around him to find the source of the harpoon. Her eyes followed the cord into the shadows near the upper entrance of the building, where a short figure could dimly be made out standing, the chord attached to their hand. Noodle tensed as the figure stepped out from the shadows, into the pale light descending through the cloudy sky.

Noodle had never seen this woman before. In fact, she had never seen anyone like this woman before. She had pale lavender skin which, although odd, looked rather nice with her deep amethyst eyes. Her petite figure looked almost childlike, but her face held a definite no-nonsense expression. She was dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Some of the height she lacked was made up for by an elegant black afro which circled her head like a halo.

 _She looks like an alien from the age of disco_ , Noodle thought.

Realizing that her mouth was hanging open, Noodle quickly pulled her jaw shut. Allowing her gaze to sweep once more over their rescuer, Noodle was startled to realize that, rather than holding the harpoon chord, the mysterious woman had the chord attached to a motor built into her left arm.

 _Make that a cyborg disco alien,_ Noodle thought. Then it hit her. _Wait… She's not just 'a' cyborg… She's…_

"Long time, no see," droned a familiar robotic voice eerily similar to her own.

" _Cyborg Noodle?"_ Russel said, his eyebrows shooting up.

The cyborg looked irritated at this statement. "I'm not called 'Cyborg Noodle' anymore. It's just-"

"CYBORG!" Murdoc stomped angrily out of the truck, marching straight up to his former servant. "What the devil are you doing here? For _years_ you've been gone, and you didn't try to contact me once! _Not once!_ Your own creator!"

" _I just saved your life,"_ Cyborg hissed, leaning forward to give Murdoc a death stare. "if I were you, I'd quit complaining and be grateful."

"Thank you for saving us," Russel said. "What brought you here?"

"I was staying at this hotel with my friend, Henry. He wanted to meet my old friends. We were going to visit you tomorrow. When the zombie invasion began, I put him in a closet with a few pocket-watches to fix. He probably doesn't even know what's happening. I was watching from the window and I thought I saw you guys moving across town. I ran to the roof to watch, and I was here to catch you when you fell."

"Did you catch anyone else?"

It was the first time Noodle had spoken since they had stopped falling. She didn't like how small and raspy her voice sounded, or the way her bandmates' eyes widened in realization, somber looks crossing their faces.

"Anyone else?" Cyborg responded, turning towards her former model.

"2D… he got separated from us," Noodle murmured, trying to keep her voice steady. "He was closer to the center of the explosion. Did you see him?"

Cyborg stared at Noodle, her face expressionless. Noodle thought she saw her purple eyes twitch. "I didn't see anything else… I thought you were all in the truck."

Noodle's eyes were burning. She closed them only to envision 2D falling, spiraling through the air before hitting the solid pavement, bits of debris falling on top of him…

Noodle opened her eyes wide. "We have to find him," She said. "He'll be around this city somewhere, close to the area beneath the explosion."

"Noodle," Russel started in a soft voice, "2D had a long way to fall, and he probably got hit hard by that explosion… The helmet he was wearing wouldn't have done him much good-"

"Cyborg!" Murdoc said in a commanding voice. "Do you still have the tracker?"

Seeming to forget her animosity towards the bassist, the cyborg replied, "Yes. If the chip you put in his foot is still there, I can find him."

"Let's get on with it then," Murdoc ordered.

Noodle was feeling enough emotions of her own at that moment, but if she wasn't mistaken, she thought she heard a tremor in the bassist's voice.

. . .

There was a small park in the center of town. A border of tall cedar trees usually enclosed a pristine grassy field. Today, however, it was filled with a staggering pile of rubble no smaller than a large building, including vehicles, trash, and fragments of a large, gold statue.

The group (minus Little Simz, who was resting in Cyborg and Henry's hotel room) was gathered at the base of the heap of debris when a light on Cyborg's shoulder began to flash, accompanied by a shrill beeping noise. "He's in here," she said, her gaze sweeping over the pile.

"Where in here?" Noodle asked. "Is he at the edge? In the center? How do we find him?"

Cyborg detached the tracker from her shoulder and handed it to Noodle. "If someone is going to pinpoint his exact location, it should probably be the lightest one of us, so the trash doesn't shift too much."

Noodle accepted the device, looking down at the screen where a small arrow was pointing her forward. She began to climb up the rubbish heap, holding the tracker in one hand as she used the other to lift herself over the steep obstacle course. She rose up and up, the arrow resolutely sending her forth, moving carefully as rubbish shifted and sunk beneath her.

" _Target reached. Target reached."_

She looked down at the blinking machine, then looked around. She was at the far side of the park, where trash had piled high against the rim of overhanging trees, hiding in their dark shade. The rubble was several meters deep here.

Noodle felt her eyes water. Excavating this area would take days. Perhaps even weeks. And even if they lifted all this trash, even if they found 2D quickly…

 _2D had a long way to fall,_ Russel's words echoed in her head. _Hit hard by that explosion… Not much good…_

Something wet fell onto Noodle's hand. She hadn't realized she'd been crying. She could feel it now though, the burning in her eyes, the wetness streaking down her face, her breath hitching as drop after drop fell onto her arm.

Noodle closed her eyes and cried.

Her bandmates could probably see her hunched over, her back facing towards them. She didn't care if they could see her shaking, or if they could hear her sobbing. She could feel the teardrops falling quickly onto her skin as she wrapped her hands around her knees, curling into a tight ball.

After all they'd been through… Why him? Why now? They were finally free from the spirit-demon, they had only just begun to enjoy the newest level of their relationship, he'd finally found confidence in himself, and made up with Murdoc, and begun to feel like he had a chance at a real family, and now he was gone!

Noodle dug her nails into her legs. She wondered if things had been quick for him… Maybe he'd been hit in the head and knocked out cold immediately after the explosion, and he never had to know the fear and isolation of falling to his death alone.

She hoped he hadn't suffered.

She wished she could hug him one last time.

Noodle sniffled, wiping her arm over her face. She needed to go back to the others. They could excavate his body together.

Something smelled weird…

Noodle sniffed. When she had wiped her arm across her face, it had left a strange, rusty scent near her nose. Noodle cracked her eyes open and looked down at her arm.

It was covered in streaks of fresh blood.

Noodle stared at the red smears, her mind numb.

 _Drip._

A fresh drop of blood fell onto her arm.

Slowly, Noodle craned her neck up, observing the trees which hung over the pile of trash. It was hard to make anything out in the deep, thick shade cast by the bushy evergreens, but a few meters above her head, Noodle thought she could make out a bright color… magenta… something caught on one of the tree branches.

Noodle inched forward, looking up as her eyes adjusted to the shade. A drop of blood fell on her nose.

The magenta object was a helmet, caught in a tree branch. The helmet was attached to a person with long limbs and closed eyes.

" _Toochie…_ TOOCHIE! GUYS, HE'S HERE! HE'S IN THE TREE!"

Noodle stood up on shaky legs. Distantly, she could hear her companions stomping through the rubble, making their way towards her. Seeing where the tree trunk poked out of the trash, Noodle stumbled towards it. She jumped onto the trunk and tried to climb, but there were no low branches to hold onto, the bark was peeling beneath her nails, and she felt herself sliding down, losing her grip and falling on her back onto the trash with a soft _crunch._

"Where is he?"

Noodle looked up. Cyborg had been the first to arrive, probably aided by her strong mechanical legs. Noodle raised a trembling hand to point up into the tree branches.

Cyborg scanned the branches, following Noodle's finger to where 2D's dark form blended with the shadows, barely visible save for his bright magenta helmet. Noodle watched as the cyborg raised her own arm, aiming it at the base of 2D's branch. A grappling hook shot out of her arm and stuck to the tree, wrapping around the branch and pulling Cyborg into the shadows. The cyborg worked around 2D, untangling branches from his clothing and removing his helmet. Then, slowly and carefully, Cyborg picked up the man in both of her arms. She extended her arms, lowering 2D gradually out of the shadows, exposing his injuries in the pale light of the overcast day before placing him gently on an old mattress lying a few feet away.

By now, Russel and Murdoc had caught up. As cyborg lowered herself from the tree, the three bandmates approached 2D's still form. Climbing onto the edge of the mattress, Noodle observed the singer's injuries.

The worst wound appeared to be in his left leg. It was bent slightly halfway between the knee and the foot, and his jeans were soaked in dark red blood. Also concerning was the trickle of blood smeared below his ear. He was covered in various scratches and bruises, an unpleasant pattern of red lines and purple shades marring his pale skin. Fortunately, his head appeared to have been kept relatively safe by the helmet, although there were numerous scratches on his face.

Noodle lifted a trembling hand, sliding it beneath the motionless man's jawbone. She shuddered at the feeling of his cool, clammy skin. Gently applying pressure with her fingers, Noodle searched for a pulse.

For a long moment, there was complete silence.

Noodle's breath hitched when she felt his blood pump.

"He's alive," she whispered. She could sense her bandmates edging closer as she kept her hand pressed below his neck, needing to feel the soothing beat of his pulse. "His pulse is faint, but it's there. He's _alive._ "

A round of relieved sighs swept through the group.

"We'd better try to patch him up, before he gets any worse," Cyborg said. "I doubt that this city's hospital is fully functional right now, so let's see what we can do on our own."

Noodle nodded in agreement. She began gingerly removing 2D's shirt to check for chest injuries while Cyborg cut away the left leg of 2D's jeans. Noodle was dismayed to see the huge bruise covering the singer's ribs; he had obviously been hit by something hard. Glancing down at 2D's now-exposed leg, Noodle felt her stomach twist at the sight of the awful bloody gash marking where the singer had probably broken his leg. Noodle watched as Cyborg began to set the bone, shifting his leg gently but nevertheless causing the flesh to twist and a small spurt of blood to gush over the wound. Noodle winced, looking away. She knew that it was necessary, but it was painful to watch.

"Oh… Owww… Ahhh!" A shrill moan caused every head to turn towards the singer's face.

Noodle quickly crawled to 2D's head. Roused from unconsciousness, his face was now contorted in pain, his eyes scrunched shut as hisses and whines passed through his gritted teeth. Noodle placed a hand on his cheek, brought her lips to his ear, and whispered soothing words to him.

"Toochie, it's okay, it's okay… I know it hurts; we're going to make it better, I promise."

"N-n-nood-d-dle… i-ih- hurts-s… m-my l-l-leg… Aoowwww!"

"Shhhh… I know, Toochie, I know… We're fixing it, it'll be better soon," Noodle cooed, petting his hair as the man continued to moan.

"I'm going to inject some local anesthetic into his leg," Cyborg intoned. "See if you can get him to relax; it'll go in smoother if he's not so tense."

"Did you hear that, Toochie?" Noodle whispered. "Cyborg is here, she's fixing your leg. You need to relax so that she can make it stop hurting. Can you relax for me, Toochie? Please?"

2D's eyes opened. They flickered towards Noodle, to the cyborg, to his other two bandmates who were now crouching on his other side.

"Listen to Noodle, 'D," Russel said, placing a large hand on the singer's shoulder. "We're trying to help you. Just relax."

"Yeah, 2D," Murdoc added, hesitantly placing his own hand over 2D's arm. "We're going to make the hurting stop. Trust us."

2D still looked scared, but Noodle could see him visibly trying to relax, taking in deep, shaky breaths as he listened to his bandmates. "That's it, Toochie," she whispered, kissing his cheekbone tenderly. "Breathe deeply. Relax."

Noodle glanced down to see a needle emerge out of one of Cyborg's fingers. She turned back to 2D's face, stroking his hair with one hand and taking his hand with the other. 2D whimpered as the needle pierced his leg, Noodle could feel his hand shake. Soon, however, the singer's whimpers quieted, and his face began to relax.

"Are you feeling better now, Toochie?" Noodle murmured.

"Yeahhh…" 2D sighed, his breathing evening out substantially. "Still sore… but not so bad now."

"Can you tell me where you're still hurting?"

"Chest hurts… and my head is throbbing a bit. My skin feels all stingy."

Noodle sighed. The chest and skin pains could be explained by the cuts and bruises all over 2D, and the throbbing head was only natural since the man had been knocked unconscious. He might have a few broken ribs and a concussion, but hopefully, he had avoided severe internal injury.

"Love… there's blood on your face…"

Noodle watched as her bandmate raised his hand weakly, skimming his fingers against her cheek to rub off some of the dried blood crusted onto her skin. Noodle caught his hand, holding it in both of her own as she gave him a faint smile. She could feel fresh tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Don't worry about me, Toochie. It's your blood, but we're patching you up. We're all okay."

2D smiled back at her, the scratches on his face stretching as he returned her grin. "All okay- that's good. And the spirit?"

"It's gone, Toochie. You finished it off."

2D's grin stretched wider. "I used the powder you gave me. It saved me."

A happy tear fell from Noodle's eye. She laid carefully next to 2D, placing one arm lightly over his chest in a gentle hug. "This mess is over. We're together, and we're safe."

She felt 2D's head turn to Nuzzle her hair. "Together. I like that."

Next thing she knew, her bandmates were joining in on the hug, gently climbing onto the mattress to give 2D and her a light squeeze around the shoulders. Even Cyborg joined in, finishing tying 2D's leg to a brace and extending an arm to rest over them. Murdoc didn't even grimace.

Noodle smiled, lifting her head to meet 2D's eyes. It was really over.

They had won.

. . .

 **Yaaay, nobody died! (but if you were really hoping for a character death, I suppose I could give someone a heart attack in the epilogue.)**

 **Fun fact: when I was writing this chapter, I did a bit of research (I glanced at a Wikipedia page) on a man named Nicholas Alkemade. He jumped out of a burning plane 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) in the air, fell on a pine tree, and survived with only a sprained leg!**

 **The moral of this story is: If you're falling, land in a pine tree.**

 **Also, sorry if Murdoc got a bit OOC actually caring about his bandmates. I was trying to give him a character arc.**

 **Thank you all for reading and stay tuned for the epilogue!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Epilogue**

 _ **Disclaimer: See chapter 1**_

. . .

 _Thunk, thunk, thunk…_

2D's crutch tapped a steady beat against the hospital's white tile floors. The singer made his way slowly down the brightly-lit hall, staggering awkwardly with the weight of the thick cast on his right leg. It didn't bother him much anymore; he'd been putting up with the bulky cast for… Well… He couldn't remember exactly how long, but it had been a while. It hadn't been easy at first, of course, since his balance was never great to begin with. However, after weeks of effort, it had become second nature for him to balance most of his weight on his good leg as he walked, to swing his crutch instead of his right foot, to feel the pressure of each step not at his hip but under his arm, chafing against his armpit…

2D grimaced. He could never figure out how to walk with this thing without it rubbing his underarm and making him sore.

As he plodded forth, numerous other patrons of the hospital passed him by: a grouchy-looking woman with her arm in a sling, a man glancing awkwardly down at his phone over a neck brace, doctors and nurses in pristine white uniforms with their heads bowed over clipboards. The atmosphere was clean and overcrowded.

2D didn't mind the crowd. After all, the hospital wasn't nearly as busy as it had been 3 months ago…

The singer shivered at the memory. His bandmates had carried him to this hospital not long after they had stabilized the worst of his injuries following the spirit incident. He couldn't remember it perfectly since he had been on heavy medication at the time, but in his mind's eye he recalled the packed emergency room, the flurry of overworked medics and overflowing patients. He felt the atmosphere of panic and pain, the fabric of the creaking gurney as he was strapped into it, the rapid beating of his heart which probably would have burst out of his chest if Noodle hadn't been holding his hand through the whole ordeal.

2D shook his head, attempting to clear his mind. That time was over. Naturally, there had been casualties, but most of the city's residents had managed to get through the spirit crisis unscathed by locking their doors and staying in their homes. The event had been blamed on a combination of bad weather, exploding gas lines, and hooligans. Now, aside from some pending infrastructure repairs, the town was more or less back to normal.

A loud squeal made 2D look up.

A young girl darted energetically down the hall, hobbling slightly, glancing back at a set of parents who were shouting after her to stop so they could put on her ankle brace. The girl grew closer, her speed unceasing, and 2D stalled nervously, noticing that the distracted child's course was set to run right into him. Fortunately, the girl faced forward just in time to notice the man she was about to run into and skidded to a stop.

Expecting the girl to step around him before continuing his sprint, 2D was surprised when she turned her wide eyes up to meet his dark ones. The girl stared blankly up at him for a long moment, causing 2D to shift awkwardly in place. Suddenly, the girl's face split into a wide smile. "Hiya! My name's Addie and I just turned 5 _today!"_

"Oh," said 2D, forgetting his discomfort as he smiled for the girl. "Happy birthday!"

The girl beamed. "I was having a really happy birthday, 'cause my parents hired a man with a horsey to be at my party and I got to ride it! And then I fell off, and then my ankle hurt a lot, and then they took me here, and then the doctor stuck a needle in my leg, and now it doesn't hurt anymore! But they want me to wear a stupid-looking brace thing, but I don't want to wear it 'cause I feel fine and it's my birthday!"

2D nodded, sympathizing with the girl. "Yeah, I don't like those brace things. My doctor makes me wear this big thing on my leg, and now I have to walk with this stupid crutch-thing."

"Oh. Yeah, that thing on your leg looks pretty stupid. So does the crutch. I hope they don't make me have one of those-"

"ADDIE, ARE YOU TALKING TO STRANGERS AGAIN?"

The girl glanced back at her parents, who had almost caught up with them. Smiling up at 2D, she said, "I have to go run away before they catch up and make me wear that stupid brace. See ya!"

"Bye!" 2D responded with a grin as the girl stepped around him, preparing to take off down the hallway. Just when it seemed she was about to sprint away, the girl turned back to 2D curiously, tilting her head. "Hey, where's your family? Didn't they come with you to make sure your leg is okay?"

2D's smile faltered. Forcing the grin back onto his face for the girl's sake, he responded, "Not today. They usually come, but they were too busy today."

"ADDIE, GET OVER HERE THIS INSTANT! WE HAVE TO PUT THIS ON YOUR LEG!"

"Ok, mister… uh…"

"2D."

"2D? That's a funny name. I hope your leg gets better!" And then the girl was gone, dashing down the hallway as a set of distressed parents charged past the standing singer.

His company gone, 2D allowed his smile to fall, rolling his black eyes towards the floor as he continued limping down the hallway. What he had said was true; someone from the band would usually come with him to these appointments. Noodle in particular usually made sure that he was never alone, knowing that the singer often found doctors confusing and their equipment scary. However, the new album was going to be released in the coming spring and there was too much going on for his bandmates to be here today. Murdoc was picking up supplies they would need for a promo video, Russel was revising the electronic elements of their songs, and Noodle had been called in by Jamie Hewlett to discuss design elements for their promotional media. She had seen 2D to his cab earlier that morning to wish him luck with his appointment, given him a kiss on the cheek, and sped off on her damaged motorcycle to meet Hewlett.

2D paused thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side as he recalled Noodle's enthusiastic smile and sparkling eyes as she had spoken with him about his appointment. _Did she say there was something special about this appointment? I think she did, but I don't remember what._ The singer shrugged. _Whatever it is, the doctor will probably remind me. Or Noodle will remind me this evening, when we all meet back up at the house._

The singer continued down the hallway until it intersected with a new corridor. Glancing from left to right, 2D found himself suddenly disoriented. It occurred to him that although he had walked through these hallways many times over the past few weeks, he had never been here on his own. One of his bandmates had always taken the lead, knowing exactly where his doctor's office was. Nervously running his fingers through his spiky blue hair, 2D felt a strange sinking sensation in his stomach. Standing here at this intersection between hallways, patients and doctors alike strolling past him without so much as a glance in his direction, stuck in the middle of a bunch of busy, crowded hallways that all looked the same, he found himself feeling…

 _Sick? No, not exactly…_

 _Nervous? Hmmm… a bit closer, but still not quite it…_

 _Alone?_

2D shivered as the word crossed his mind. He turned his head, opening his mouth to ask his bandmate which way to go-

Oh yeah.

Yep, the feeling was definitely _alone._

It didn't make 2D feel better to put a word to his feelings.

Hunching his shoulders, the man's eyes flickered nervously towards either end of the hallway. His fist tightened around his crutch. _The doctor's office has to be around here somewhere, but I don't remember where!_ 2D bowed his head and sniffled, feeling his chest clench uncomfortably. _This is stupid. I hate hospitals._

"Mr. Pot! Over here, Mr. Pot!"

2D jumped, twisting his head instantly to see a familiar physician waving at him from the end of the hallway to his left. Releasing a short sigh of relief, the singer mustered a small smile and hobbled in her direction. "Hi, doctor!"

She raised an eyebrow as the singer approached. "Mr. Pot, did you forget my name again? We've been meeting every week for _3 months_."

2D quirked his head to the side, confused. "I thought your name was doctor."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, closed it, then shook her head. " _Sigh…_ Well, there's no point trying to nail it down now. Come this way, Mr. Pot."

He followed her into a clean white room and instinctively sat down on the paper-covered patient seat, propping his crutch against the wall. The doctor crouched next to his casted leg and examined it with sharp eyes. "Well, we've had our work cut out for us fixing both your tibia and your fibula, but it looks like things have finally panned out. Have you experienced any pain in your leg since we took you off your pain prescription?"

"No; not that I remember, anyway," 2D replied, swinging his free leg casually back and forth.

"Excellent! We're set to finish things up. I'll be sad to see you go; you've been a wonderful patient."

"Sad to see me go…?" 2D's eyes widened with horror, his knuckled blanching as his fingers clenched around the edges of his seat. "Wait, am I _dying?"_

"No, no! You're not dying!" The doctor quickly assured, her own eyes widening as her patient began to hyperventilate. "Don't you remember what we talked about last week? As long as everything looks good today, this is your last appointment. We're removing your cast."

"Oh," 2D sighed with relief, relaxing in his seat.

2 seconds later, 2D's eyes went wide again and his head jerked forward with excitement. "It's coming off? It's over? I get to stop using that walking-stick thing that makes my arm hurt?" The singer smiled, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Yes! Now hold still," the doctor said, turning to retrieve something from the table behind her.

His previous sorrow all but forgotten, 2D was bursting with excitement. _Finally! I'll be able to walk normally again, and not use that stupid crutch-stick thing, and carry things around while I walk, and not be useless! The first thing I want to do when I get back home is walk around with 2 cups of orange juice, one in each hand, and get around the whole house without stumbling and spilling one!_

2D's train of thought was broken by a loud buzzing noise. He looked up to see his doctor wielding an electric circular saw. The singer's throat went dry.

"If the saw scares you, you can close your eyes while I'm removing your cast. And try not to move, it would be unfortunate if I sliced your leg open and we had to cast it all over again."

Suppressing a whimper, 2D squeezed his eyes shut. He heard the saw as it moved, approaching his leg. He felt a pressure coming through the cast, something pressing down, vibrating, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as the machinery whined and buzzed. He inched his hand across the seat of his chair as if expecting to find Noodle's hand ready to comfort him. Finding only empty air, 2D gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the awful clamor of the saw, the vibrations running through his leg, the tear forming in the corner of his eye-

Then he felt air.

The buzzing stopped. "You can open your eyes now, Mr. Pot."

Tentatively, 2D cracked open an eyelid and peered down at his leg. His gaze met a stretch of pale, sun-deprived skin, leg hair slicked down after months trapped in a sweaty cast, bruise and scratch free save for a single pale-pink scar etched over his shin. The singer rotated his ankle hesitantly, watching as the thin muscles beneath his skin shifted to cause pain-free movement. Slowly, the singer smiled, the gap in his teeth peeking out from between his lips as he set his foot gently on the floor, applying a light pressure to his limb. "My leg is free…"

"Yes, Mr. Pot. Now, there will be some paperwork for you to fill out at the front desk. Don't be surprised if your leg is weaker than you remember. It'll take some time for your muscles to-"

"I'M FREE!" 2D shouted, leaping from his seat. He immediately overbalanced and found himself sprawled across the floor. Not to be stalled, the singer clambered back to his feet and sped out the office door.

He could distantly hear the doctor shouting something after him, but he was too ecstatic to care. As he rocketed down the hallway, tripping occasionally and bouncing off walls, doctors and patients scrambled to get out of the singer's way. His smile was widening, his heart was pounding as he felt his steps becoming surer, his speed increasing, moving ten times as fast as he had managed in the past weeks with his cast slowing him down. Taking no notice of the indignant shouts of the hospital's other occupants, he raced through the hallways, not entirely sure where he was going, but overjoyed to watch people flash past him, disappearing from view as his feet propelled him across the tile floor. When he eventually found himself in the reception lobby nearing the doors to the outside world, his thoughts cried, _Forget cabs! I'm running home! Or skipping! Or jumping! Or…_

2D threw out his arms, shoving the doors out of his way.

The singer jerked to a stop, blinking as the late fall sunlight filled his eyes. Heaving in deep breaths of crisp air, 2D gazed across the hospital lawn. His jaw dropped.

There was a small stretch of grass between the hospital and the parking lot. When 2D had arrived earlier that morning, the grass had hosted a few nurses eating lunch on a bench and various pieces of litter scattered across the ground. The litter was still there, but instead of nurses on the bench, there were three very familiar people watching him and smiling, holding a banner that said "Congratulations, 2D." 2D stood staring, his mouth hanging open as the shortest of the trio dropped her end of the banner and approached him, her green eyes glowing with the bright sunlight as she arrived, wrapped her warm arms around his waist, and tilted her head up to press a lingering kiss to his chin. "Congrats on getting your cast off, Toochie."

"Noodle…" Snapping out of his trance, 2D threw her arms around her, squeezing the guitarist in a tight embrace. "What- I thought you were all busy today-"

"We couldn't miss your surprise getting-well party, could we?" Noodle purred into his ear. 2D picked her up and spun her around, feeling her warm breath on his face as they laughed joyfully and the world spun around them. When his weak leg muscles gave out, he nearly dumped both of them onto the ground. Fortunately, Russel had had the foresight to stroll to 2D's side and was there to steady the singer and Noodle as they toppled. "Whoa there, 'D. Didn't Dr. Lacey tell you to take it easy when she took that thing off?"

"I don't know, I wasn't listening!" 2D piped happily, placing Noodle on the ground so that he could throw his arms around the large drummer. The drummer returned the hug, squeezing 2D snugly against his wide stomach.

A sharp popping noise made 2D start, releasing Russel to turn towards Murdoc, who was standing over their fallen banner holding a frothing bottle of champagne. "Cheers, mate!" The bassist said, brandishing the bottle in the air before bringing it to his lips.

"Hey, Muds, save some of that for me!" 2D chuckled, running towards the drinking man. To his dismay, the bassist held him back with a palm on his chest. "Sorry, 'D. You can't have any."

"What? Why?" 2D asked, his face falling slightly. "I don't have to take meds anymore, so it won't interfere with my healing!"

"2D, we all want you to stay safe," Murdoc growled, pointing the bottom of the bottle at the singer. "And I'll have you know that drinking before driving is very dangerous."

"Drinking before driving?" 2D said, confused.

"Yes. You've got enough dents already, and we can't have you smashing up your new motorcycle."

"Ummm… I don't have a motorcycle…"

2D heard someone clear their throat. He turned to see that Russel had moved to the edge of the parking lot and was standing next to a shining, jet-black motorcycle with a blue bow tied around its handlebars. At first, 2D stared undiscerningly at the bike, glancing from it to his bandmates with undisguised confusion. As he took in their meaningful smiles, something clicked in his brain. For the second time that day, 2D's jaw dropped. "Wha- i-is that… for… me?"

He heard Murdoc chuckle. "Consider it a get-well gift from the band. We're all going to get new motorcycles just like that one to use for a promo video, but the shop only had one in stock until next month. Since you need some time to learn how to ride it, we decided that you could have the first one."

His black eyes shining, 2D approached the vehicle. Stopping beside it, he stretched out a hand to run his palm over the sleek metal body, reverently feeling the cool material beneath his fingertips. " _Wow…"_ he whispered under his breath. He sensed his bandmates coming to stand behind him, watching him as he took in the sleek machine. Grinning from ear to ear, the singer spun around to wrap his long arms around all his bandmates in a big group hug. " _Thank you guys so much!_ This is so cool and awesome and I can't wait to ride it! You guys are the best!" He felt his bandmates returning the hug, their warm embrace making the sun seem to shine brighter and the sky seem bluer.

In that moment, 2D knew he was the luckiest person on earth. The warmth of his bandmates encircled him, keeping the cool autumn air at bay, and he could sense their smiles as clearly as he could feel his own stretching across his face. He was free from injury, it was a truly beautiful day, and he had an amazing family to share the day with. An amazing family to share _every_ day with.

When they let go, 2D turned back to the bike, stroking a handlebar adoringly. He still couldn't believe that they'd gotten him a _motorcycle_! "I guess when we get back to the house, I should watch a few YouTube videos on how to ride these-"

" _Or_ ," Noodle interrupted, "you could ask your girlfriend to show you how-"

Before she could so much as blink, Noodle found herself being crushed in another of the singer's smothering hugs. "You're the best, Noodle!" He cried, tilting his face to press his nose against hers.

Noodle grinned back at him, tilting her face to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Excellent. I'll drive us down to the racetrack and show you the ropes."

. . .

He felt the warm leather seat beneath him, the cool handlebars under his fingers, his jacket formed snugly around him as he used his toes to balance the still machine. His breath pooled inside of his new, sleek black helmet, warming his face and dispersing before it could fog his view. The bike shifted as a new source of warmth pressed to his back and a set of arms entwined around his waist.

This time, he would be driving.

2D looked ahead at the deserted racetrack. There were no delinquent schoolkids here today. From what he had heard, the city's youth had grown fond of a deserted complex of buildings along a damaged road no one had cared to repair. This meant that he had the whole loop of abandoned racetrack to himself.

Well, himself and-

"Whenever you're ready," Noodle encouraged, her voice drifting over his shoulder and through his helmet.

2D gave a short nod. Noodle had spent the past hour showing 2D all the controls, finishing by leading 2D forward a few feet as he slowly practiced starting up and shifting into first gear. Noodle had been pleased with his progress and decided he was ready to try putting on a bit of speed.

The singer's hand trembled slightly as he twisted the key in the ignition. The bike was already in neutral, so he flipped the kill switch into the "on" position. Instantly, the bike rumbled beneath him. 2D's shoulders tensed as his seat vibrated and mechanical noise filled the air.

He could feel Noodle leaning into his back. "You're doing great, Toochie. Now shift into first gear and release the clutch _slowly."_

Squeezing the clutch tightly, 2D pulled his foot up against the gear shift. Gradually, nervously, his grip on the clutch loosened. The bike began to roll forward.

"That's it," Noodle said, raising her voice to be heard over the rumbling motorcycle. "Start out slow. Use the throttle and the gear shift when you feel comfortable."

2D allowed her words to bolster him as he released the clutch more, pulling back on the throttle as the bike picked up speed. He could feel the breeze washing against his neck just above the collar of his jacket as the bike moved faster, balancing neatly as it cruised down the track. 2D breathed quickly as he felt his body moving forward, felt the wind tugging at his clothes, felt his bandmate's warmth against his back. This wasn't anything like driving a car…

2D grinned. This was so much better.

"Ready for second gear?" Noodle shouted over the wind.

2D's teeth appeared between his lips as his foot pulled up on the gear shift.

The wind was faster, the bike was faster, his pulse, his heartbeat, his breathing all accelerating as stretches of track disappeared beneath the bike's wheels. The first turn was approaching. 2D leaned into it, feeling Noodle lean with him, and entered the turn, picking up speed as they rounded onto the next straight stretch of track. Gears shifted. Wind howled as they shot forward.

It was exhilarating. 2D found himself laughing as excitement bubbled in his chest. Soon, he and Noodle were both howling with joy as they raced down the track. 2D couldn't remember to be nervous or afraid, couldn't spare a thought to the possibility of him messing things up. Sure, he was notorious for making mindless mistakes and letting his fear get the better of him. That didn't matter right now. Noodle was confident in him.

More importantly, he was confident in himself.

They sped down the track, their jubilant cries mingling with the screaming wind. 2D felt weightless as they flew over the asphalt, coasting through turns and beaming down straight stretches. He was high on adrenaline, loving the sensation of speed, the wind whistling around his helmet, the warm arms clinging to his waist…

Completing another loop around the track, 2D slowed down, pulling in the clutch and hearing the gear shift click as their speed dropped. In a few meters they came to a stop. 2D felt Noodle climb off the bike as he flipped the kill switch and pocketed the keys. He followed the guitarist off the bike, staggering on the legs he had almost forgotten existed as he pulled the helmet off his head, blinking as cool air struck his face. He set his helmet on the ground as Noodle did likewise with hers. She was facing away from him as she did so, her back turned towards him as she stooped to place the helmet on the edge of the track, breathing heavily in the aftermath of their exciting ride. By the time she turned around to grin at 2D, the singer was right in front of her, tugging her into his tight embrace. He barely gave her time to gasp as he pressed his lips to hers, fingers tracing up her spine to hold the back of her head as his face pressed forward. He felt her relaxing into his grip, her hands sliding up his chest and around his neck as her lips molded to his.

Since they were both already out of breath, it was only moments before their faces broke apart, gasping, their warm breaths heating the air between them. 2D smiled down adoringly at the beautiful guitarist – _his_ beautiful guitarist – loving the feeling of her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Leaning forward, he traced his lips below her hairline, over her cheek, on the tip of her nose. "Thank you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

"You're welcome," Noodle replied smilingly, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "I'm here whenever you need motorcycle practice."

"Not just for teaching me how to ride…" 2D murmured, raising his lidded eyes to meet hers. "For everything… helping me with the spirits… helping me recover… always being here-"

Noodle cut him off by pressing his lips against his still open mouth. 2D felt her teeth nip his bottom lip and moaned softly before she pulled away. "I've already told you, you don't need to thank me for any of that. I _want_ to be here with you, helping you when you need it and enjoying life with you when you don't." Her lips ghosted over his before she whispered, "I love you."

2D smiled. "I love you too," he responded, closing the distance with another heartfelt kiss.

. . .

 _A few months later, in Spring…_

"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?"

Noodle felt 2D's arm tense over her shoulders as he averted his eyes from Murdoc's accusing glare. Noodle rolled her eyes, easing out of 2D's grip to close the door behind them as they stepped into the foyer. "I told you before we left where we were going. We had dinner at the new restaurant downtown then hit the rollerblading center."

"You've been gone for three hours!" Murdoc howled.

"Yes, we don't take a stopwatch to our date nights!" Noodle retorted. She narrowed her eyes at the bassist and placed a hand on her hip. "These things are meant to be enjoyed!"

Growling, Murdoc paced around the foyer. He gesticulated wildly as he continued his rant. "Oh, yes, and what better time to enjoy a long, luxurious date than the _middle of the production of our new album?_ Are you two even taking this band seriously?"

"We've been working on this album nonstop for months!"

" _I've_ been working on this album nonstop for months! Meanwhile, you two have been gallivanting around town like puppies in a park!"

Noodle breathed in deeply. At some point in the past minute, her hand had curled into a tight fist. As she breathed out, she focused on loosening those fingers. "Murdoc, I understand that that you feel a lot of pressure to make this album great, and I'm glad you're dedicated to making this band a success. However, we all need to take breaks every now and then. You should try to relax a bit. Enjoy the production process."

Murdoc glowered coldly at them. "This is our first album in _years,_ our comeback album! Don't go acting like I'm the one at fault for taking this seriously!"

"Er… Muds…" 2D stammered, taking a step to stand by Noodle's side. "I feel like – like – you've been getting really stressed out lately, and – ummm – you're less nice when you're stressed. Maybe you could take just a little break from producing so that we could all spend some family time together – "

"THERE WILL BE TIME FOR BREAKS WHEN THE ALBUM IS FINISHED!" Murdoc screamed. Noodle felt 2D cringe beside her as Murdoc turned his back to them and stomped loudly up the stairway, muttering under his breath, "lousy slackers… Trying to double-team me… Got to do all the work myself…"

The bassist disappeared from view. There was the squeak of a door opening and a slam as it shut violently.

 _Temperamental control freak,_ Noodle thought bitterly to herself. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she began to walk towards the basement door, speaking aloud to 2D as she went, "You'd think waking up at 5:30 AM to help the man fill out all of that international sales paperwork then continuing to do all of his chores for us until 7 in the evening would be enough for him… I'll be glad when we've got this album out the door and he can stop shouting at us." Noodle raised a hand to rub a tired eye. "Well, it has been a busy day for all of us, and I'm ready for some shuteye. Goodnight, 2D."

A moment of silence passed as Noodle stepped towards the basement door. She had just grasped the cool brass doorknob when she heard a soft noise…

 _Sniffle…_

Noodle paused. Her grip around the doorknob loosened.

 _Sniffle…_ and another soft sound, like hitched breathing…

Slowly, Noodle turned to face her bandmate. "2D? Is everything okay?"

She saw the man standing where she had left him, halfway between the front door and the stairs. His head was bowed, and he was rubbing his arm across his face, over his eyes. When he noticed Noodle staring he glanced up briefly, allowing the guitarist a glimpse at one pink-rimmed eye before fleeing from her gaze, bowing his head once more. "'m fine... Just… just Murdoc, he's… I… _sniffle_ … I thought that we…"

Noodle could see the singer's face contorting and frowned. He never had been good at hiding his emotions. Stepping forward, Noodle reached up and stretched out her fingers to gently lift 2D's chin. Hesitantly, he met her searching gaze with both of his wet, sore eyes. Noodle could only watch as something snapped in their depths.

" _I thought we were okay!_ " he suddenly sobbed, his eyes squeezing closed as a few tears leaked out. "He was being so nice after- after the spirit stuff, and we were finally acting like a family, but now he's- _sniffle –_ he's all angry and frustrated at us all the time, and it's like _nothing's changed!_

He was shaking, his chest heaving as he pulled in shuddering breaths. Her own heart twisting, Noodle wrapped the crying singer in a tight hug, cooing into his ear, "shhh, Toochie, it's okay… it's okay…"

Gently, she steered the singer towards the base of the stairs and sat him down on the bottom step. She allowed 2D's face to rest on her shoulder as his sorrow continued to spill out of him. "I- I just w-wanted us all t-to be h-happy – _sniffle –_ but we always – we a-always seem to – to end up back here, with everyone upset and h-hurting…"

Noodle closed her eyes. She felt a sad tug at her own memory, remembering how often the band had smiled together following the spirit incident, happy to simply be together and alive. She remembered how, slowly but surely, the pressure of the coming album release had made Murdoc's smiles less frequent, worn his patience thin, and brought back some of the bassist's snappish temperament. A stressed Murdoc made for an unhappy Gorillaz…

But even now, it wasn't as bad as it had been in the past.

They'd been here before, when they had briefly broken apart after their first album and during the Plastic Beach fiasco. Murdoc would withdraw from his bandmates, drink ten times as much as usual, and occasionally resort to physical violence to relieve his stress.

The Murdoc they had seen today hadn't withdrawn from them – he had asked them to be there with him.

The Murdoc they had seen today – although still a heavy drinker – was drinking no more than was usual for him.

The Murdoc they had seen today hadn't hit 2D in months.

Noodle's lips curved into a small smile.

"Toochie… I understand how sad and scared you are. I wish we could all be happy too." She smoothed down his spiky hair, running her fingers comfortingly over the soft locks. "But think hard about how Murdoc's been acting. He's stressed, he frowns and shouts more, but he seems to be controlling himself much more now than he has in the past. He doesn't hit you, he only gets blackout drunk once a week, and he's not pushing us away. He wants us to help him complete the album, and that proves that no matter how angry he gets from here on out, he intends to keep us close. He wants us to be a family too."

2D sniffled. He raised his head off Noodle's shoulder, hesitantly meeting the guitarist's eyes. "You… you r-really think he wants us to stay together and be a family?"

Noodle pecked 2D's nose with her lips. "Of course. And when the album is finally out, he'll spend more time with us being happy. Besides, you know how much he enjoys being the center of attention. He won't be able to stop smiling when the publicity from this album puts Gorillaz back in the spotlight."

2D smiled back at her hopefully, his sniffles becoming softer as he wiped some of the moisture out of his eyes. "Y-yeah… he always does like marching into interviews as if the whole world is w-watching him… And sometimes he lets us all get ice cream together after concerts."

Noodle grinned as the sorrow gradually dissipated from her friend's face. Together, they relaxed against the staircase. It wasn't the most comfortable surface to lay across, but they managed to make do with their heads resting on their arms, propped over the ascending steps, laying side by side. As 2D's breathing fell back into an easy pattern, Noodle took one of his hands in hers, pulling their entwined fingers into the small space between their bodies.

"Hey, Noodle…" 2D murmured, his jaw rubbing against the skin of his arm. "Do you think, when all of the touring and everything is over, Murdoc might let us all go on a… A family vacation, or something?"

"Did you have someplace in mind?" Noodle asked, running her thumb over his knuckles.

2D stared down at their hands, his black eyes reflecting the movements of Noodle's thumb as he explained, "Well… When we - Me and Murdoc and Cyborg - were touring for Plastic Beach, we were in California for a concert. Some of the people touring with us decided to take a short trip to Venice Beach, and it sounded really nice, but I was too scared to go with them 'cause there might be whales… Murdoc probably wouldn't have let me go with them anyway; he was more controlling then… But when the others got back, it sounded as if they had had a lot of fun, and I kinda wished I had been able to go with them. I was thinking it might be nice if we could all go there together, and… and also…"

Noodle looked curiously at 2D's face. His cheeks had gone slightly pink. The singer glanced up from their hands for a moment to meet her eyes shyly before glancing back down and continuing in a soft voice, "walks on the beach are supposed to be romantic, right? so… I thought it would be a nice place to visit with you."

Noodle pulled her hand away from his. A moment later her fingers were on his cheek, holding his head as she pressed her lips into his. She could feel his face relaxing, his lips moving slowly under hers in a soothing rhythm. She sighed as she felt his tongue brush her lips, the slight opening of her mouth allowing them to press closer together, to feel each other's warmth. She could feel his hand on her waist, a slight tickle as his fingers brushed her ribs through her thin shirt. She curled her body close to his chest. 2D's mouth opened and their tongues slid against each other.

They laid there for a minute, each enjoying the feel of the other's fingertips on their cheeks, in their hair, on their waist, melting into the warmth of each other's faces. When they broke apart, their heavy breaths filled the air between them with soothing warmth. Leaning her forehead into his, Noodle whispered, "I'd love to take a walk on Venice Beach with you, Toochie. In the meantime, remember that you don't need a beach to be romantic."

2D grinned at her, the gap in his teeth peeking adorably from between his lips. "Sure thing, love."

. . .

 _Dear Cyborg,_

 _The album just got released! Murdoc already has a bunch of interviews scheduled, and he looks much happier now that production in finished. He still has us practicing a lot, though. We have to stay in practice for when we start touring. It would be nice to see you at one of our concerts this Summer! You can bring Henry and we can all go out for ice cream together!_

 _Noodle and I talked with Russ and Muds about the vacation I mentioned in my last letter. Russel seems up for it, but Murdoc says we should avoid beaches for a while. I thought I heard him mutter something about a pirate he owes 2 bottles of gin…_

 _Oh well. At least he's not mad anymore. Someday I'll get to take Noodle to Venice Beach, but maybe not for another couple of years. You know what Murdoc is like; he's probably already decided what we'll be doing for the next five years._

 _Anyway, we're all doing fine, and I hope you and Henry are doing well too! Noodle and Russel say hello! Murdoc says he wants his spare computer parts back!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _2D_

Gears whirred behind Cyborgs face as her mouth shifted into a small smile. Leaning back in a creaky wooden chair, she allowed the pale sunlight streaming through the window of Henry's kitchen to illuminate the words on the card she held in her hand.

She could hear Henry tinkering in the next room over, creating some sort of extension device which would allow her to become taller. She'd gotten tired of the way people looked down at her all the time and had requested the device so that she could be the one looking down on others. As always, her trusty (and cute) mechanic had been happy to oblige.

Reaching forward, Cyborg plucked her mug off of the kitchen table and sipped some high-quality motor oil as she pondered the letter from her friend. _It sounds like they're doing pretty well,_ she thought, detecting optimism in 2D's writing. _However…_

Cyborg's eyes narrowed as they skimmed over the section on Murdoc's behavior. _He could use some work. I'll admit he was nicer than usual the last time I saw him, but he's still not letting his bandmates live their best lives. Someone needs to teach him not to be so controlling…_

Cyborg smirked.

 _Maybe if he was forced to watch from the sidelines for a while…_

Glancing at the kitchen table, Cyborg surveyed an assortment of letters stacked in a high pile.

Months ago, when she had first heard about Murdoc's worrying behavior, Cyborg had decided that she needed to keep a close eye on how the band was doing. She had begun doing numerous small things to keep tabs on them. Like reading their interviews. And stalking them on social media.

And intercepting their mail.

When she had seen what the city police department was sending Murdoc, she formed a devious plan.

They were parking tickets.

Apparently, since Murdoc had been renting the convention center the day the city got wrecked, he was being held responsible for all the parking tickets on all the cars left in the convention center parking lot after the event. It was a lot of tickets. Since no one had bothered to move any of the wrecked cars from the lot that nobody used anyway, the parking fines got bigger each week.

Cyborg grinned as she sipped her drink. _Now, I could tell Murdoc about these fines so that he can pay them and move the cars before things get worse. Or…_ She glanced at a notice she had intercepted from their mail just today. It was a warning from the police department, stating that if the fines were not paid, Murdoc would face at least 6 months of jail time.

 _Like I said earlier, Murdoc could use a break from his band for a while, and his band could use a break from him. I think it would be a good experience for him to learn that they can function without him directing their lives._ Cyborg's grin twisted into a devious smirk as she poured the last dregs of her motor oil onto the notice. _I think I'll let Murdoc cool down for a while. Then 2D can have his trip to Venice Beach and the band can have some freedom._

 _I must say, I'm curious to see what the others will get up to with Murdoc out of the picture. 2D may be a bit dull, but with all of his creativity and enthusiasm, I always thought he had the makings of a good leader…_

 _. * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . *. * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . *. * . * . * . * . * . * . * . *_

 **That's all, folks!**

 **I guess I can check writing a multi-chapter story off my bucket list now. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed the story. Every review, both the long ones and the short ones, was extremely motivating and encouraging. You guys inspired me to try my best to make every chapter worth the wait! And to Natashi: I'd love it if you made fan art! Let me know if you do; I'd love to see!**

 **Feel free to let me know what you think of the story as a whole! Any tips/criticisms/advice on anything from plot to characterization and beyond are appreciated!**

 **Looking ahead, I have 2 ideas for future stories. I won't make any promises on if or when I'll get around to these (I'll be busy for at least the next month) but I thought I'd show you guys the ideas anyway and see if I can get some early feedback! Leave a review or a PM and tell me what you think of them! Both ideas would feature Noodle as the main character whose perspective the story is told from, and I'm thinking of experimenting with a first-person perspective:**

 _ **Mastermind**_

 **That fic where the character everyone thinks is stupid turns out to be a secret genius with a manipulative twist. Starring a very OOC 2D and a very concerned Noodle. Genre: Drama/Mystery**

 _ **Phase Z**_

 **An 85-year-old Noodle thinks she's on her deathbed. Things change when she finds out that the bandmates she hasn't seen in years aren't dead… They're** _ **undead!**_ **Genre: Horror/Drama**

 **TTFN!**


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